<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>The Dark &amp; the Middle by shewritesall</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352715">The Dark &amp; the Middle</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall'>shewritesall</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dramione Full Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Assassins &amp; Hitmen, Dark Hermione Granger, F/M, Kingsley is a Bad Person, Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter), War, dramione - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:08:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>64,702</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28352715</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/shewritesall/pseuds/shewritesall</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Beneath them, the ground rumbled and Hermione knew they were too close.</p><p>“Run,” she said, grabbing Malfoy’s arm and shoving him. “Run!”</p><p>Hermione shoved Malfoy forward and the two took off across the empty field. Ahead, she could just barely make out a tree that should be out of range, so she grabbed Malfoy’s arm and apparated them to it. When she looked back, the ground where they had just been was nothing but a giant sinkhole.</p><p>“Now, is that enough to convince you that you need my help?”</p><p>Hermione scowled at him, but it didn’t last long as she turned to look back at the destroyed land behind them. She could go around Kingsley and make this work. After all, Kingsley couldn’t get too mad if it resulted in the Order winning, right?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Hermione Granger, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Dramione Full Stories [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1711891</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>“The Order has become desperate, Hermione.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been hours and the words still rang through her ears. They were running out of options and while Kingsley had made this clear to her, Hermione had known for months. She had seen it in the way their frontline duelists returned with almost fatal injuries and the way they hadn’t had new recruits in weeks. At the start of the War, people had joined the Order from out of the country in an attempt to help Great Britain defeat their Dark Lord. Now, though, it was difficult to find someone willing to risk their life for a group who had made no progress in bringing down even a single tier of Voldemort’s regime.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I wouldn’t ask this of you if I didn’t think you could handle it</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
  <em>
    <span>”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The Ministry had been publicly compromised for almost two years now. Voldemort had gotten his claws in there and the Order had been too late to notice. Then again, Hermione wondered if it would have made much of a difference. The Death Eaters were vicious and well trained. They could have taken the Ministry in an instant even with the Order watching. While Kingsley liked to pretend their faults were recent developments, Hermione knew the Order had been struggling for at least a year.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“We’ve received word from Severus that one of the Death Eaters has been wanting to join the Order for two years now. He’s taken care to make sure it’s a real offer and he’s confident he can be trusted.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“What do you need me to do?”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione hadn’t thought much of it when Kingsley had asked her at first and even now, she knew she would do anything if it could help the Order. She almost scoffed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Order was hardly anything now and the world knew it. The papers regularly reported the number of new Death Eater recruits and their successes. It was clear Rita Skeeter had taken quite a liking to the young Death Eater, creating a special column to promote their interests and remind young witches there was a new “eligible and ever so charming wizard available”. Some of their faces Hermione recognised more than others. Some she could have sworn she’d never seen, however, which was strange because she’d thought for sure every British wizard had gone to Hogwarts at some time. The thought that Voldemort was now drawing the attention of young wizards from out of the country and convincing them to fight his war had Hermione closing the paper with each unrecognisable face.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Severus has arranged a meeting but refused to agree to it unless you were the only Order member to go. No one else and an Unbreakable Vow to guarantee it. If you said no, I have—”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’ll go.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It seemed like the best idea at the time. Kingsley couldn’t have said anything to convince her not to agree. He certainly tried, though. He told her how dangerous it was; even if Severus would be there, she could be spotted along the way. After all, she had grown pretty recognisable even before the War began years ago with the battle at Hogwarts. She’d refused to be talked out of it though and after promising Kingsley she was going whether she had his support or not, he’d told her the details of the meeting.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“This Thursday. Midnight at Grimmauld Place. You’re to obliviate my knowledge of the time and place to ensure you’re the only one who knows.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Obliviating Kingsley had been slightly more satisfying than she would admit. She’d watched his eyes glass over as she pulled the memory from his mind smoothly. There had been a second where she’d considered removing other memories and feelings. She remembered how adamant he was that no one in the Order fights dirty or curses the Death Eaters like they cursed the Order. The temptation to remove that determination and process of thought was so strong that Hermione found herself summoning it forward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ultimately, she’d refrained but only because it would be too suspicious of Kingsley to change his mind overnight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They’d gone their separate ways after that. Kingsley still knew about the new contact Snape was hoping to set up and that Hermione was the one working the case, but he didn’t know any of the meeting details anymore. If anything, Hermione was a little disappointed she hadn’t been able to get more information than that, but Kingsley would have known if she’d gone poking through his mind since she’d never been that great with Legilimency. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, Hermione was in the dining hall and while everyone around her seemed to be talking amicably and laughing occasionally, Hermione couldn’t stop thinking about Kingsley’s proposal. Could she tell Harry? Would it matter if Ginny or Ron knew? After all, this was War and if she died the night she met Snape, she’d want them to know what she’d been trying to do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You okay, Hermione?” Harry asked, elbowing her out of her thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She glanced up at him, wondering if his interruption was a sign she should tell him about her meeting with Snape. Kingsley chose that moment to glance at her across the room and when he narrowed his eyes slightly at her, she knew she couldn’t breathe a word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,” she said, letting out a breath of air and stirring her bowl of soup. “Just lost in thought, I guess.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beside her, Harry hummed and took a bite of a large potato. He grimaced and Hermione almost laughed. Two years ago, potato soup had been one of their favourite meals. Mrs. Weasley had always made delicious food, but potato soup had secretly been her favourite meal. It used to remind her of late nights at the Burrow over Christmas holidays or chilly fall evenings just before school began. Now, each bite seemed to bring another haunting memory from previous battles or remind her that they were still so far from victory.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where’s Ginny?” Hermione asked, looking up at Harry quickly and shoving her thoughts aside. She hadn’t seen Ginny since the Order meeting and while that wasn’t typically unusual, she found she missed her roommate’s company a little extra at the moment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Off with Ron somewhere, I think,” Harry answered. He took another bite of his soup and looked down at her. “George got hit with a stray </span>
  <em>
    <span>sectumsempra </span>
  </em>
  <span>when walking through the village, so most of the Weasleys have been in and out of the infirmary.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Who was using </span>
  <em>
    <span>sectumsempra</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Hermione asked. While the nearby village was not a hot spot for Death Eaters, she still wanted to make sure they hadn’t left some Death Eater wanna-be unaccounted for. Anyone could pose a problem if they reported George Weasley to the wrong person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just some kid,” Harry shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione wanted to ask when </span>
  <em>
    <span>sectumsempra</span>
  </em>
  <span> had become a curse that kids practised on the streets, but she refrained. The last thing Harry needed to be reminded of was the war that was raging on even as they ate dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In an attempt to change the subject, she asked Harry what he’d done that day after the Order meeting. He hadn’t been sent out to fight, but that didn’t necessarily mean he hadn’t spent his time similarly. Thankfully, his answer was as boring as she hoped it would be and she didn’t have it in her to tease him about finding himself interested in a book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I just wandered the gardens,” Hermione answered when he turned the question on her. If he knew she was being purposefully vague, he didn’t say anything. “There are several new blossoms and they really are beautiful right now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry snorted and Hermione looked at him strangely. He shook his head but spoke anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s just ironic,” he muttered. He stared down at his now-empty bowl of soup and frowned. “The garden is full of new things, but elsewhere in England, people are dying. It’s almost as if the flowers don’t seem to care.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I hardly think flowers have the consciousness necessary to care, Harry,” Hermione teased, giving him a small smile. Harry shrugged and rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Still,” he said. With a grin and a slight glint in his eye, he turned to her and said, “Fifteen years ago, I wouldn’t have thought books had a conscience, but here I am, talking to one now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione scowled and he laughed, their conversation melting into the background noise of the dining hall. As she watched Harry laugh and felt herself grinning a bit too, she decided that for the remainder of the evening, she wouldn’t let thoughts of the War cloud her mind. In the morning, she could go back to strategizing and researching and worrying, but for tonight, she would not. Just for tonight.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The following morning, Hermione was woken abruptly to assist in the makeshift hospital ward. One of the Order’s safehouses had been attacked just before dawn and while many of their duelists had held off the Death Eaters long enough, they had all come away with injuries. What hurt the most was that several children, orphans the Order had taken in for the time being, had been injured as well. Hermione kept busy treating acid burns hastily and hoping they didn’t scar. Madam Pomfrey attended to those who had been hit with worse curses and they fell into an uncomfortably familiar routine around the ward.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At some point, Hermione spotted Padma on the other side of the hospital ward, but there wasn’t much time to ask her if she’d been assigned a task yet before Hermione was being called away by one of her patients.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There has to be a countercurse,” Oliver gasped, writhing on the bed as Hermione cast a numbing charm over him. With how quickly they were depleting the pain potions, Hermione was attempting to use more charms to cover the feeling of the curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I haven’t had time to figure one out yet,” Hermione apologised. She checked his vitals, glad to see nothing had jumped to a dangerous position. “As soon as I have a moment, that’s what I’ll be working on though. Do you remember anything about when the curse hit you? The light colour? The words?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oliver shook his head sadly but Hermione promised it would be fine. She made sure he was as comfortable as could be then moved on to her other patients, asking them the same questions and getting little information in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The day passed slowly. Even though Hermione was too rushed to eat lunch, the hours seemed to drag by as new patients were brought into the medical wing and current patients continued to need more care. Whatever new curse Dolohov had thought up, it was vicious and there wasn’t much Hermione could do to counteract it. All day, those who had been hit with it groaned in pain despite the large doses of pain relief potions Hermione gave them and the various countercurses she’d tried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Hermione had a moment to breathe and eat, she was approached by Harry. Just by looking at him, she knew he was not about to bring good news, but she was too hungry to pause her eating and ask what had happened.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kingsley supposes two of our safe houses have been compromised,” Harry said after a full minute. He sat beside her but stared straight ahead. “Sussex—the one attacked this morning—was levelled completely and three Order members are unaccounted for. The wards on two of the others alerted him just recently.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione frowned and turned to look at Harry. He shrugged but didn’t look at her in return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I always wondered when someone would switch sides from the Order, play double agent for Riddle,” Hermione grumbled. Voldemort’s name was still taboo, so the Order had largely resorted to calling him by his surname. The last thing they needed was to trigger a hunt and have Snatchers at their door in seconds. “Do we know who it could be or how much they know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There’s no indication the leak was from high in our ranks, but any information shared could destroy the Order,” Harry told her. This time, he did look at her, an unreadable expression on his face. “We can’t trust anyone now. I know that was technically the case before,” Harry said, glancing away again. “But I wish we could.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded in agreement and finished her meal in silence. Harry stayed beside her until she had to return to the hospital ward and continue working, but they didn’t talk anymore. Talking about a potential leak in the Order seemed like bad luck and Hermione wasn’t particularly keen to push the limits of fate.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Dinner that night was much more solemn. Half of the residents of Dortmouth—the safe house they currently resided at—were moving in and out of the room regularly. Some took their dinner quietly in a corner while others left the room. Hermione found a seat beside Ron, gave him a tight smile, and ate her meal in silence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How is the hospital?” Ron asked. He glanced at Hermione and she shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Dolohov’s founded a new curse,” she answered. She knew he likely wasn’t interested in all the nuances of it that she’d seen during the day, but she talked through it with him anyway. “It seems similar to the acid burn one from several months ago, but it doesn’t respond to the same treatments. We’ve used almost all our supply of pain relief potions too, but it hardly helps.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Ron offered helpfully.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione just sighed and they finished their dinner quietly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as she had a moment, she disappeared into her room with a blood sample from one of the current patients. She had hoped to be able to analyze the curse and see how it affected the body of the person hit with it, but after hours of research and analysis spells, she was hardly anywhere near finding a countercurse. She barely managed to figure out just what part of the body the curse targeted before Ginny dragged her away from her work and to her bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even as she laid in her bed and tried to sleep, she kept thinking about what she could try to counteract the curse. There was no telling what the long term effects of it were and Hermione rather preferred not waiting long enough to find out. However, at some point, she managed to fall asleep and dream about curses and battles all blurred into one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After just a few hours of sleep, Hermione was back at her desk analyzing the curse. She was vaguely aware of when Ginny woke up, grumbling about one thing or another before leaving for breakfast. At some point, the sun started to light up the room enough Hermione didn’t need to use her wand to see. She began to work quicker as new ideas flooded to her and she had small steps of success with each created countercurse. When she watched the blood sample revert almost entirely to normal, she knew she was getting close to the end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She knew how to counteract the remaining side effect of the curse, but it required a potion, not a spell. If the countercurse was a potion, that would change the game entirely. While there was some possibility to use her current countercurse and take care of the remaining side effects with a potion, it was not the most stable way to go about medicine. Besides, it was easier to teach an all in one cure than one that had multiple steps as well as wandwork.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She had just set her wand aside to scribble down a quick idea for a potion when the door was thrown off its hinges and hit the wall with a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>bang</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione startled at the loud sound, twisting around sharply to face the intruder only to stop short at the look of horror on Ginny’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” she demanded, jumping to her feet. She rushed forward and grabbed Ginny tightly. “What’s happened? Is everyone okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s Snape,” Ginny gasped with wide eyes. She blinked at Hermione and her voice shook as she said, “Snape’s been killed.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The news of Snape’s murder spread through Dortmouth like Fiendfyre. While not everyone had been a fan of the man, it was clear his death would have a large impact on the way the Order was run. Kingsley had ordered an emergency meeting with several of the Order members and while Ron and Harry had been required, she had not. Hermione briefly wondered what Kingsley could possibly be telling them that she wasn’t needed for, but she hurried to the hospital ward to help there before she could think too hard on it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I bet it was the leak at Sussex,” Oliver told her as she ran a diagnostic on him. “Three of ‘em were missing when we were attacked, but I couldn’t tell you who. I just have a vague memory of their faces. It’s almost as if they erased themselves from memory.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s an interesting take on it,” Hermione said. Oliver shrugged as best he could. In an attempt to move the subject away from Snape’s sudden death, Hermione asked, “Are you sure you’re okay with me trying the countercurse? It’s not fully developed and leaves some of the effects unattended to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You couldn’t fuck me up any worse, Granger,” Oliver said with a grin. “Hit me with your best wand.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione did and while Oliver reported it did help some, she was upset to hear it hadn’t been as much of a cure as she’d anticipated. He could still feel the acid burning through his organs, but nowhere else seemed to hurt anymore. Hermione made sure he had a very targeted numbing charm on his torso so the burning wasn’t unbearable before checking on the other patients and performing the spell on those willing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She hadn’t quite finished at the hospital wing when Kingsley summoned her. She passed Harry in the hall and they shared a look, promising to talk to each other later.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Hermione slipped into Kingsley’s designated office, she caught sight of a battle map rolling itself up. She frowned but didn’t comment on it as she moved further into the room and took a seat beside Kingsley. He moved the rolled map off of the table, locked it away in a cupboard, then joined her at the table with a droll look on his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’ve heard the news,” he began. Hermione refrained from scoffing if only out of respect for the dead. She nodded instead. “Severus’s death complicates whatever arrangement he was hoping to create with his second contact. I’m not sure if you’ve already met or have yet to meet, but I’m worried about what the timing of his death could mean.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Snape was reporting to you directly much too often,” Hermione said. Kingsley frowned and opened her mouth, but she spoke before he could. “You’re far too noticeable in the Order and Snape was too important. Besides, there’s already rumour of a leak from Sussex. This is just evidence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What do you suggest we do about this supposed new contact?” Kingsley asked, leaning back to look at her clearer. “One leak may have known about Severus. What happens if a new leak spurs and they find out about our new contact?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione shook her head, certain it wouldn’t be a problem.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The only ones who know of the new contact are me and you,” she reminded him. If anyone got wind of a second spy for the Order, they could immediately be suspicious of the other. “To be safe, I’ll refrain from revealing the identity of the person even to you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happens at the end of the War?” Kingsley asked, pointing out that anyone could claim to have been the secret contact.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll know,” Hermione said. She could swear in whoever it was and as long as Kingsley promised to trust her admission no matter who the contact was, they would be able to grant immunity to the right Death Eater. “I know the leak is important, Kingsley, but with Snape’s death, this new contact could be the Order’s only hope.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kingsley agreed without hesitation. Insight into Voldemort’s regime and Death Eater forces was crucial. Snape had been loyal in his reports, but he hadn’t been a fighter. He’d been positioned in the potions lab and recruited to design lethal weapons for when the battles began. While he’d managed to get word of most attacks, he hadn’t known enough at some times.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t stress how important it is that you tell no one about this new alliance,” Kingsley said. Hermione nodded. “Even when telling the most trustworthy of people, you never know who could be listening. You’ll be almost completely on your own.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can handle it,” Hermione promised. Kingsley nodded and dismissed her. As she moved to the door, she paused and remembered the sight of the battle map rolling up. Hesitating at the door, she asked, “Is there going to be a battle soon?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe that’s on a need to know basis now, Hermione,” Kingsley replied. Hermione pursed her lips but didn’t argue. Instead, she nodded one last time at Kingsley and slipped through the door, wondering when she’d been written off the need-to-know list and just who had replaced her.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Finding Harry and Ron at dinner was easy. Sneaking away unseen was easier. By the time they had securely warded and locked Harry and Ron’s shared room, Hermione was beginning to wonder if anyone would notice if they disappeared for several days. It didn’t seem like anyone had hardly cared as they slipped by and only Ginny had given them a second glance. Whatever the reason, Hermione wasn’t sure how to feel about it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You weren’t at Kingsley’s meeting,” Ron said as soon as she’d informed them the room was secure enough. “I thought you were always at those meetings. Kingsley laid out the strategy instead.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So there is a battle? When is it?” Hermione asked. She perched on Harry’s bed and glanced between the two boys. “Kingsley said I was no longer on the need to know basis.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s barmy!” Ron exclaimed. Harry nodded beside him. “You’re always there! What are Harry and I supposed to do without you on the field?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Have you figured out a countercurse yet?” Harry asked. Both Hermione and Ron looked at him strangely. “What? Maybe Kingsley’s trying to move you to a more permanent spot in the hospital. You are pretty quick at creating antidotes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I don’t think that’s it, Harry,” Hermione said. She figured part of it had to do with whatever alliance she ended up solidifying at midnight tomorrow, but she couldn’t very well say that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Did he talk to you at all about it?” Harry asked. Hermione shook her head and steered the conversation back to the upcoming battle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry and Ron went over every detail of the attack with Hermione. She listened closely but knew she couldn’t do much to change it if she hadn’t been in the meeting herself. As it was, the attack plan was one familiar to her and she vaguely remembered suggesting it when they destroyed one of Voldemort’s bases in the north. Listening to Harry and Ron describe the location for this particular attack, it seemed like the base was set up similarly and the attack would likely be successful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The one thing I worry about is that it’s predictable,” Hermione said. Harry frowned and Ron shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ve only done it one other time,” he reminded her. “They shouldn’t see it coming.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Besides, the Order has never repeated attack tactics before,” Harry added. Hermione nodded, though she was a bit reluctant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Order needed this attack and while both of the boys had good points, Hermione had learned never to guess what the Death Eaters would expect. The last thing she wanted was to misstep and watch the Order be destroyed while Voldemort rose in his madness. The one thing she could rely on that Harry and Ron couldn’t, however, was the knowledge that while Snape was dead, the Order had a new contact that would hopefully be just as useful. If not, Hermione wasn’t quite sure what she’d do.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hermione left Dortmouth at 11:50 pm the following evening. Most everyone was asleep, but she still cast a disillusionment charm on herself before leaving the premises. She waited until she was well away from the safe house before apparating to the front doorstep of Grimmauld Place. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It had been a while since anyone had been there and it certainly looked like it. The Order had moved headquarters when it became apparent anything in the city was too risky. Even protected by secret keepers, it was more of a risk than the Order was willing to take and had only served as a painful reminder of Sirius for Harry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The fact that Snape had agreed to meet with her and only her at Grimmauld Place was a little unnerving. He was dead now and part of her wondered if that meant the new contact would be unable to access the house. Unless Snape had told him of the location and shared the secret, Hermione would not be meeting anyone.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>By arriving early, Hermione had time to light a few candles in the house and tidy up a small area. While she didn’t care about first impressions, she didn’t want to stand in a corridor full of cobwebs and insects. The tidying also gave her something to do other than stand around and worry. When she’d known Snape would be joining, she hadn’t bothered to worry about who the new contact would be. Now, though, she could very well be attacked and she probably wouldn’t be surprised. After all, how was she to know that Snape wasn’t killed by his supposed alliance the second he shared Grimmauld Place’s secret?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione was pulled sharply from her thoughts at the sound of a </span>
  <em>
    <span>pop</span>
  </em>
  <span> outside the door. She held her wand tightly and watched as the handle twisted and someone stepped inside. They kept a hood over their head and even with the candles flickering nearby, Hermione couldn’t see the person’s face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see Severus managed to convince the Order to agree,” the man said, almost sounding a little surprised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione had somehow assumed it would be a man she was meeting, but as she stood in front of him, she could only remember previous Death Eaters she’d come in contact with. What if the man pulled off his hood and turned out to be Graham Montague? What if it was one of the Lestrange brothers?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Identify yourself,” Hermione demanded. The room remained silent and the man did not move for several seconds. She was about to make the order again when he spoke up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I do, will you swear not to curse me?” he drawled. His voice sounded familiar, but Hermione could not place it to any specific Death Eater. Perhaps it was just a lackey that she’d gone to school with. No one truly devoted to Voldemort’s cause would ever think about deferring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t lower my wand, but I also won’t throw the first curse if that’s what you’re worried about,” she promised. In front of her, the man nodded, seeming alright with that answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Slowly, he reached up for his hood. Pale hands darted out from under his robes and a second later, Hermione was staring at the face of Draco Malfoy. Except, it wasn’t him; not really. He still had the same features and carried himself just as tall, but his hair had grown longer and his face looked harder. Instead of a sneer or a scowl, he looked at her with an unreadable expression, almost as if he expected her to go back on her word and curse him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She sucked in a sharp breath but did not curse him. They stared at each other for several long seconds. As much as Hermione knew, it could have been minutes that they stood there tensely, clearly waiting for the other to throw the first curse.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re taking this better than I expected,” Malfoy said eventually. Hermione could see he was still tense, so she slowly lowered her wand to her side. Malfoy watched her very closely, warily eyeing her wand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I admit, you’re not the worst one I imagined meeting tonight,” Hermione said tersely. Malfoy had not even crossed her thoughts. “That doesn’t mean I’m any less surprised.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re certainly more even-tempered than anyone else the Order could have sent,” Malfoy replied. Hermione decided not to read into that, knowing how Ron or Harry would have reacted if they were in her position. “I assure you, this is not a trap.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The thought had left my mind,” Hermione told him. Narrowing her eyes, she said, “It’s returned now though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Malfoy looked at her with a pinched expression then nodded once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Severus said you’d be suspicious,” he said. The mention of Snape was a bit unexpected, but she didn’t startle. “He warned me I might have to make an Unbreakable Vow or take Veritaserum. Seeing as he’s not here to perform the Vow, would you happen to have Veritaserum on hand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione blinked, surprised at how cordial Malfoy sounded. As if he wasn’t offering his services to the Order. He spoke like he wasn’t about to commit treason that could get him killed or worse if discovered, but he also didn’t speak like he was there for afternoon tea. Somehow, Hermione knew he was aware of what he was doing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I didn’t think to bring any,” Hermione admitted. A year ago, she may have travelled to Grimmauld Place with her small bag that was charmed to fit all of her potions and anything else she put in it. She hadn’t even thought about it when she’d left Dortmouth that night.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Perhaps a contract for me to sign?” Malfoy suggested. Hermione was about to tell him she hadn’t prepared that either, but she knew upstairs was a piece of parchment and a quill. If he was willing to wait a few minutes for her to write something up, she told him she could write a contract. “Perfect,” he agreed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione disappeared quickly and returned with two pieces of parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink. She spent several minutes charming the parchment into a binding contract and then began writing everything she could think of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He would need to swear his full allegiance to the Order, never once backing out or attempting to evade what he was tasked to do. If she had any reason to believe he was being dishonest or relaying information back to Voldemort’s forces, any immunity would be revoked immediately and the Order would be sure to condemn him. She thought for several minutes, trying to think of anything else to add before ending the parchment with the final requirement that he put his duty to the Order above his personal gain, should the situation ever arise.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s finished,” she announced, handing him the parchment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Malfoy read the parchment in silence before taking the quill and signing his name. As soon as the ink settled, Hermione rolled the parchment and sent it to the room she’d stayed in the summer before the war began.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With the contract signed, an uncomfortable silence settled over them. Hermione wasn’t quite sure what to do to break it, but she knew she should say something about what his potential tasks would be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’ll just be used as a source of information,” Hermione told him. After all, that’s all Snape had been and Kingsley didn’t seem the type to have a hired assassin under his hand. That didn’t mean Hermione couldn’t hope for it. “I’ll be your direct contact with the Order. Everything goes through me first.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I suppose it’s to you I should give this,” Malfoy said, producing a roll of parchment out of thin air. He handed it to Hermione but kept her from breaking the seal. “Attack plans for the south of England. The dates aren’t set, but the Dark Lord is ordering them this week. Don’t break the seal until you can write them down. The information will disappear immediately.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Hermione hadn’t had him sign a contract, she would have worried the information was false. Now, though, she had no reason to think such a thing other than her own scepticism which seemed like a rather rude assessment seeing as Malfoy had still held his appointment with the Order even after Snape’s untimely death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I can’t be away for long if I want to avoid suspicion,” Malfoy said, cutting through her thoughts sharply. “If that’s all the Order needs from me, I’ll be on my way.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How will we contact you in the future? Or you contact us?” Hermione asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rather than answer directly, Malfoy reached into his robes and Hermione tensed. Instead of pulling out his wand as she’d expected, she watched him pull out a thin notebook that couldn’t be larger than her palm. He handed it over to her and stepped back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure you’re familiar with mirror charms,” he said. Hermione nodded, looking over the notebook then flipping through it. It was empty. “Should I come across any information I feel the Order should have access to, I’ll write it there. The words will disappear as soon as you read them and close the notebook.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And will yours do the same if the Order needs direct contact with you?” Hermione asked. Malfoy nodded and pulled an identical notebook from his robes to show her. “Will the other Death Eaters be suspicious to see you journaling?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The thought of Malfoy keeping a journal seemed laughable, but so had the idea of him spying for the Order a year ago so Hermione supposed nothing was impossible. Nevertheless, he was the Order’s only connection to the inner workings of Voldemort’s regime now and Hermione would not tease him and risk losing that connection. She could hold her tongue for the sake of the Order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No,” Malfoy answered shortly. He did not elaborate and while Hermione was curious, she didn’t ask.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Good,” she said instead. She stuffed the notebook into her jacket pocket and glanced at the door. “You’re free to go now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something resembling a smirk flashed across Malfoy’s face, but it was gone before Hermione could be certain that’s what it was. He pulled his hood back over his head and twisted the doorknob behind him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m sure I don’t have to ask you not to tell the Order my identity,” Malfoy said, pausing in the doorway. Hermione shook her head, telling him she wasn’t even going to tell Kingsley. She kept the information about a possible leak to herself, though. “Good,” Malfoy said. Without another word, he slipped out the door and apparated away.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Draco wasn’t quite sure what to make of his meeting with Granger. He’d known it would not be a friendly get together, but it hadn’t been half as bad as he’d anticipated. Severus had warned him she might throw a curse or two at him and Draco had been fully prepared for it, but she hadn’t.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Either way, the meeting had gone better than Draco had thought. He and Severus had spent several days talking about what should be done if Severus was unable to accompany Draco to Grimmauld Place. For a week or two now, they’d known Severus’s time was limited and his alliance with the Order was at risk of being revealed. Severus had gone to great lengths to ensure the Order would not use Draco’s allegiance as carelessly and it had been him who suggested they only agree if Granger were his point of contact. Draco wasn’t sure who else was in the Order he could hope to work closely with, but he figured Granger was the least likely to give him up in a fit of anger.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She won’t trust you even if I am there when you meet,” Severus had told him. He’d suggested Draco offer an Unbreakable Vow to assure her or some other binding solution. “If Miss Granger was sceptical of you years ago, she’ll be more so now.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco had been fully prepared to take a Vow too. He’d already grown accustomed to the idea when news of Severus’s capture and abrupt and public execution reached him. He didn’t even have time to worry about what it would mean for his meeting with Granger before his aunt was ordering him to lead an attack in Severus’s home town.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Actually seeing Granger in the flesh, up close and in a confined house no less, was a rather strange experience. The last time he’d really seen her had been years ago at Hogwarts, probably during Fifth Year if he were to think hard enough. In Sixth Year, he’d been too busy with the cabinet and the Room of Requirement to take much notice of anyone around him. It shouldn’t have been as surprising as it was to see how Granger had changed. He knew he had changed, but had he changed as much as Granger had?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he hadn’t known he was meeting her, he might have taken a second to recognise her. She still held herself the same and kept the same wand, but there were just a few things off that had almost made him frown. Her hair was longer than he’d ever seen it, almost down to her waist, and she’d had it braided down her back. Whether it was to keep the length from annoying her or her hair from impairing her vision while fighting, Draco couldn’t be sure. He was surprised to find himself wondering if it was still as frizzy and curly as it had been in their school years, though. When he’d looked up at her face, he would have known she’d been through a war even if he hadn’t been fighting it as well. Her gaze was harder and something about her stare pierced through him. He’d been thrown off guard even if only for a second.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Overall, Draco had found the meeting strange. Granger hadn’t thought of drawing up a contract beforehand so clearly she’d trusted Severus’s judgement enough up until she was face to face with him. He didn’t even think she’d thought of a way to communicate with him. If she’d expected him to be okay with regular meetings at Grimmauld Place, she wasn’t as intelligent as she’d put off. Anything of that sort was much too predictable and Draco would not be careless if he was going to play a spy for the Order.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unlike Severus, Draco was not in as risky of a position. His family had no history of ever even considering siding against the Dark Lord and all of Draco’s life, he’d openly applauded the man. It hadn’t been until he’d watched his father offer his mother to the Dark Lord as a present for a single night that Draco had decided he was done. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’d wanted out for months, perhaps a year even. Severus had regularly hinted to Draco there was another way, but Draco hadn’t given him a single thought until that night several months ago. He’d wanted to curse his father the minute the idea formed in his head, but he couldn’t with so many others attending and watching. Relief had flooded through him when the Dark Lord admitted to finding no pleasure in witches himself and he’d thought for a naive minute that his mother would be spared.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I’m sure I have loyal followers, however, who will be very grateful for your gift, Lucius.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco had been forced from the room before he could raise his wand at the first wizard to touch his mother. His father had locked him in the dungeons and hissed at him to behave; he’d told him the Dark Lord was their master and deserved everything they had to offer, even their wives, daughters, and mothers. If it hadn’t been for the wards preventing him from using magic or the chain on his arm, Draco was sure he would have killed his father right then.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, Draco had refused to work with the Order directly. He reported ambushes and new attack formations to Severus who delivered them to the Order for him. It wasn’t until others started to suspect a leak and therefore Severus that he’d agreed to start contacting the Order directly. Even after Severus’s death, Draco still wasn’t sure if it had been a wise idea.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Returning to the Manor past midnight was out of the question. The wards would alert his parents and there would be questions to answer. The lack of alcohol in his system would reveal he hadn’t been out drinking and even though there was no reason to worry yet, Draco didn’t want there to be any possible suspicion of him. Instead of going home, he apparated to Blaise’s and made himself comfortable in one of the guest bedrooms.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco was rudely awoken by Blaise hexing his blanket into a cover of ants. He jumped off the bed, almost throwing himself into the nearby wall as he brushed the ants off himself and used his wand to get rid of any that were hiding in his clothes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the hell are you doing here?” Blaise asked. He got rid of the ants but Draco didn’t move back to the bed. “I thought I was imagining the wards last night, but I woke up this morning and they were still going off.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Couldn’t go home,” Draco muttered, brushing his arms as the sensation of ants crawling over him made him paranoid. “I just needed a place to crash. I didn’t realise your wards would alert you to my presence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Blaise snorted and rolled his eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What? You thought you could just steal a bed, eat my food, and leave?” he asked. Draco shrugged. He’d done as much before. “Why couldn’t you go home?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco gave him a sharp look that told him not to question it. One of the reasons it wasn’t so uncommon for Draco to spend the night with Blaise was the regular revels and parties thrown at the Manor. Draco refused to attend and whenever one occurred, he and Blaise would spend the night getting pissed together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I would have returned if you’d told me,” Blaise said, his gaze flickering just enough to let Draco know he was worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was fine, just needed somewhere other than the Manor,” he assured Blaise who nodded reluctantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well I’m still fucked, but you’re welcome to the kitchen,” Blaise told him, scrubbing his face with his hand. Draco smirked and summoned a bottle of hangover potion to give to Blaise. Blaise scrunched up his face and shook his head. “Not today, mate. That tastes like shit and I don’t like what it does when I drink later in the day.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco sent the potion back to where he kept a stash of them and shrugged.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Suit yourself,” he said. “It’s there if you want it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He moved past Blaise, leaving him to grumble to himself and stumble awkwardly back to his room. Draco found the kitchen on his own and managed to find something edible. Ever since Blaise’s mother had fled to Italy to escape the War, his supply of food had suffered. The git had taken to bread, cereal, and sometimes fruit if Draco was lucky. Other than that, the kitchen usually only contained alcohol and chocolate for the times Blaise needed or wanted to get piss drunk. Today he was lucky, though, and after a quick meal of bread and fruit, he apparated back to the Manor and lied through his teeth about where he’d been.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Hermione didn’t open the parchment Malfoy had given her until she woke up the following morning. She waited until Ginny left for breakfast, making up an excuse about working on the counter curse for a bit before joining, then pulled out a blank parchment sheet and unrolled the one Malfoy had given her. It took a few seconds for the full plan to appear but even before it was fully finished, Hermione had started scribbling down as many notes as she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whoever the leak was in Sussex, they’d been busy relaying safe house information to the Death Eaters. Four of their safe hours in England were listed and one in Wales. There were a few other scattered attacks that were supposed to be over safe houses, but not close enough to any that Hermione was worried. She’d hardly finished writing when the parchment began to dissolve on her bed. With wide eyes, she watched it completely disappear and glanced down at her notes to make sure she’d scribbled down all she could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There wasn’t anything else she could do now that the parchment Malfoy had given her had dissolved, so she rolled up her time-consuming parchment and headed down the stairs to find Kingsley. It was likely he would be in his designated office, so she wasn’t surprised to walk in and find him hunched over a map and muttering quietly to Moody. They both looked up at her as she approached, however, and the conversation abruptly stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What can I do for you, Hermione?” Kingsley asked. As it had the day before, the map rolled itself up quickly before Hermione could catch a glance at it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I need to talk to you,” she said, holding the parchment at her side. As she eyed Moody, she added, “Alone.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Moody glanced from her to Kingsley and Kingsley nodded. With a grunt, he moved away from the table and left the room. Hermione waited until the door had latched and she was certain the wards in the room were secure once more before handing over the parchment.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Our contact provided anticipated attack plans,” she informed him. He unrolled the parchment and looked over her notes as she told him, “The dates aren’t set, but the attacks should be carried out sometime this week. Several of our safe house locations have been leaked.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kingsley hummed and nodded, looking over the parchment for a full minute before rolling it back up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I fear we may have to abandon all current safe houses and move to entirely new locations,” he said. They couldn’t very well keep moving each week, but moving the full Order to new, secure locations was more than just a one day task. “Most of our members will be dispatched this week in an attempt to level a Death Eater base in Wiltshire. We won’t have many around to find and secure new locations.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s too risky to send a battalion anyway,” Hermione told him. “I can go.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kingsley eyed her warily but Hermione gave him a hard stare. It was clear he was keeping her out of the battles for one reason or another, but there was no excuse as to why she couldn’t be the one to secure new safe houses. After all, she’d been responsible for securing over half of the Order’s locations before and with the possibility of a leak, it was too risky to have an army of Order members knowing the various new safe house locations.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fine,” Kingsley agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly. “You’ll secure new safe houses for those in danger now. If we get word next week more locations are at risk, you’ll arrange for those too.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s fine,” Hermione said. If she wasn’t going to be sent into battle, she’d make good use of her time by securing extra safe houses anyway. At the very least, they could come in handy if they needed to expand their operations in the future.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll alert them all today,” Kingsley said. She’d need to leave immediately if she was to secure at least one location before tomorrow, but that wasn’t much of a problem. “Notify me as soon as you have a new location.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione nodded once and at his dismissal, she left the room. She hurried to the makeshift dining hall and rushed through her breakfast, snagging bits of food to take with her during the day. Ginny was nowhere in sight but neither was Harry, so she knew they were both escaping the safe house while they could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where are you headed in such a hurry?” Ron asked, bumping into her as she rushed down the hall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kingsley’s sending me to secure new safe house locations due to the leak,” she answered. She told him she’d likely be gone all day and possibly into the morning. If anyone worried about her, he could tell them she was out collecting supplies. “No one’s to know about the new safe houses, but if Ginny or Harry ask, tell them.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay safe,” Ron said quietly, pulling her in for a short hug. She promised she would then ducked away to finish gathering her things from her room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She made sure to bring her satchel with her, stuffing extra robes, her food, and the journal Malfoy had given her inside. After she was certain she had enough supplies to get through what was going to be a very long day, she left the grounds and apparated to the first location she could think of.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>There wasn’t anything interesting around an abandoned property in Helmshire, so Hermione chose that as her first location. She, Ron, and Harry had stumbled upon it while hunting for Horcruxes and the only reason she remembered it was because they’d been camping within sight of the building when the locket had first appeared to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She spent hours setting up wards and wandering far out of sight of the building just to ensure the wards were large enough. The inside of the building would take hours as well, but her biggest priority was the security around. It had to be impenetrable without being detectable. If anyone felt even the slightest inkling of magic nearby, the spot would become an immediate target in the next Death Eater attack.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fixing the inside of the building was not Hermione’s favourite activity. The magic was basic yet time-consuming, so after making sure it had stable enough walls to withstand several minutes of an attack, she sent Kingsley a patronus to alert him to the new location. As soon as Order members began to arrive, the location would be protected with a Fidelius charm and Hermione would need to be gone. Rather than return to Dortmouth as Kingsley suggested, she apparated to a new location and began the search for another safe house.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a long minute, Hermione just stared at the building in front of her. It had been her grandparents’ summer house and while it had been filled with fond memories for years, Hermione hadn’t visited since their death. Her parents had kept the house but done nothing with it. At one point, they’d considered selling it but now, as Hermione began to construct the strongest wards she could think of, she was glad they’d never had the chance. The house had been her safe place for many summers and now it would serve as a safe house for Order members as Death Eaters raged through the country.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione again spent hours constructing wards and perfecting them to be undetectable. By the time she felt the house was sufficiently protected, the sun had risen and her fingers were stiff with cold. She hesitated before sending a patronus to Kingsley, but eventually sent a short message with the second location. At least the house would be useful to someone.</span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>Hermione had spent the next two days in search of a small town that could offer refuge for the Order. Her first stop had seemed promising, but she’d noticed too many eyes on her as she walked through and knew it would not be a good place for several unfamiliar faces. It wasn’t until early afternoon that she was able to begin setting up wards around a new location. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She worked quickly, but even then, it was dark when she finally finished. Rather than work through the night to find a fourth safe house, Hermione returned to Dortmouth so she could sleep for just a little while before continuing. She didn’t expect there to be so many people up and about when she returned, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where have you been?” Ginny asked, appearing from around the corner with a scowl. “Harry said you’d gone off and Ron was as useless as ever.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kingsley sent me out, Gin,” Hermione answered, darting around her and grabbing a nearby plate. “I thought the boys would tell you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well they didn’t and I’ve been worried,” Ginny said. The two of them walked up the stairs to their room as Ginny told her, “Another safe house was attacked this afternoon. Ron’s been gone all day and Kingsley’s only just managed to find a place for the survivors to stay. It seems like whoever the leak was, they knew about a number of our safe houses.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Either that or the Death Eaters have been watching us longer than we thought,” Hermione said. Ginny hummed in agreement and locked the door behind them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione sat on her bed and ate her cold meal while Ginny went over what Kingsley had mentioned in a meeting that day. Not to Hermione’s surprise, the attack on the safe house had been precisely where Malfoy had lined out for her. Unfortunately, the occupants had only been warned of an attack, not vacated from the area. There were fewer injuries and most of the Order members had escaped mostly unharmed, but Kingsley had sent a few members from Dortmouth to assist in the damage control.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’d ask if you were one of them, but they only left a little bit ago,” Ginny said. She glanced at Hermione as if she expected her to tell her where she’d been, but Hermione did not.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that where Harry and Ron are then?” she asked instead. Ginny nodded and Hermione had half a mind to ask why, but if the injuries were mostly minor, then the boys would have the basic skills necessary to help.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room was silent for a few seconds as Hermione finished up her food. As soon as she’d finished, she cast a scourgify on the plate and sent it back to the kitchen. It was late enough to go to bed, but Hermione didn’t particularly feel like sleeping even though her body felt exhausted. Even so, she saw Ginny change into her pyjamas and lay on her bed, so Hermione followed suit. She turned off the light and pulled her blankets over her head before lighting her wand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She’d forgotten to check Malfoy’s notebook while she was away and she knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until she did. As quietly as she could, she pulled the little book out of her satchel and flipped it open. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>To her surprise, there was a quick note scribbled down that began to fade as soon as the book had been opened. Even though she should have known there was the possibility of something being there, she was still surprised to see coordinates listed in front of her next to an impressively ominous note.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They’re watching you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>With a frown, Hermione closed the notebook once the writing had disappeared and stuffed it back in her satchel. She knew the coordinates of Dortmouth and the place Malfoy had listed was not far. Even though his note of warning was vague, it was obvious what was meant by it and Hermione knew she’d be stopping by there first thing in the morning. She’d have to take a day off from securing safe houses to see what Malfoy was talking about. If it was as important as it sounded, she’d need to tell Kingsley about it. A Death Eater base so nearby could spell trouble.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The following morning, Hermione apparated about half a kilometre south of the coordinates Malfoy had given her. She walked the remaining distance, reapplying the disillusionment charm on herself every few minutes. It may have seemed a little excessive, but Hermione hadn’t breathed a word about where she was headed to anyone in the Order and the last thing she wanted was to be careless. She had no desire to end up in the hands of Death Eaters with no possible way to let the Order know where she’d last been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was lucky the base was located at the bottom of a hill. She climbed to the top, transfigured a clump of grass into a bush to help her blend in better, and crouched behind the small row of shrubbery. If there hadn’t already been a small tree and another small bush, Hermione would have found transfiguring a new bush to be too risky. However, the current vegetation would not be a sufficient cover and it was unlikely anyone would notice one extra bush.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione wasn’t sure what to expect, but she supposed she shouldn’t be surprised that the base seemed abandoned. She considered casting a spell to check for any nearby or surrounding magic, but if there were Death Eaters inside and they’d cast any sort of wards, it was likely such a spell would trigger them and she’d be discovered. Instead, she resolved to stay there for most of the day and watch for any sign of inhabitants. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unfortunately, nothing happened all day. Hermione stayed well hidden, but she couldn’t help the impending boredom that seemed to take over before the afternoon even began. As she glanced at the building again, she sighed and raised her wand. She could cast the spell and apparate before anyone found her. It would be quick and she’d be untraceable. It would also keep her from wasting the rest of her day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione had hardly cast the spell when she felt magic ripple through the air and knew she’d triggered a ward. Scrambling for her bag, Hermione didn’t even bother to check the results of her spell before apparating to the first place she thought of.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When she landed in the entry of Grimmauld Place, her heart was racing. She hadn’t expected a ward to go off like that and knew she’d be unable to return to the base that night. Even if there wasn’t a battalion of Death Eaters there, it was likely they would extend their wards now and she’d have to be more careful. However, now she knew for certain that someone had taken up residence near the Dortmouth base and she needed to keep an eye on them for the Order’s sake.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bastard,” Hermione grumbled, pulling the notebook from her bag and checking it for any new notes. Malfoy hadn’t written a thing, but she knew she could expect something later on after he’d heard about the wards being triggered at the coordinates he’d given her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Although irritated and worried slightly about whether the triggering of the wards would cause the Death Eaters to attack Dortmouth, Hermione apparated to the northern coast where she spent the remainder of the day searching for yet another secure location.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She was unsuccessful in finding an actual building before nightfall, but when she finally apparated back to the steps of Dortmouth, she’d found a good area that could offer great coverage should the Order need a secure place to set up a camp. She’d been on her way to tell Kingsley about the possible location, but as soon as she’d stepped inside the safe house, she stopped.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The entire building was burned on the inside. The outside had appeared completely normal, but the inside was charred and empty. She could see remnants of walls and what looked like human skeletons. She inhaled sharply as something behind her shifted, but when she turned her wand to the sound, it was just the door that had come off its hinges.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything was eerily lit with the moon and her wand as her only light source. Some rooms were still smouldering, but whatever had happened at Dortmouth had clearly happened a while ago. Why she hadn’t gotten a warning or a patronus about it, she wasn’t sure.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As she stepped through the front door again, she paused. It was almost too soft to notice, but she could feel something tickling her spine. She held her breath, listening around her for any movement but heard nothing. When she stepped out of the doorway, the tickling disappeared but she could feel the prick of something very small and very warm on her lower back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fuck,” she cursed. It was a tracking spell, she knew it. Whoever had destroyed the place either knew she would be coming back or expected someone to stop by and she’d been stupid enough to trigger it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She apparated further into the forest, knowing wherever she went the caster of the spell would know, and attempted to remove it. The first time she tried, she was almost crippled by the hot pain that cut into her like a knife. She grit her teeth and reached toward the nearest tree, steadying herself as the pain pulsed through her body for several minutes. As soon as it disappeared, she tried another counterspell only for the same thing to happen. Nearby, Hermione heard several apparation cracks and grimaced. Whoever had attacked Dortmouth was back and she had no way of outrunning them with the stupid trace on her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Over here!” a voice yelled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione pushed herself off the tree and raced further into the forest, racking her brain for any idea on how to break the trace. Whatever spell had been used, she wasn’t familiar with it. It likely had roots in the dark arts which meant until she could stop and analyse what it was, she would be stuck with it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thinking quickly, she pulled out her wand and summoned a patronus. It was a little blurry, but it would do.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Tell Harry I’m in the forest north of Dortmouth,” she told her otter. “Whoever attacked Dortmouth is back and I’ve been hit with a trace I can’t get rid of.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The little otter nodded then raced off through the forest. Hermione ran in a different direction, hoping whatever trace she had on her wouldn’t extend to the magic she cast. She didn’t want to put the Order at risk.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione heard someone apparate nearby and threw herself to the right, dropping down behind a tree even though she knew the trace would alert them to where she was. Her heart pounded in her ears and she was breathing heavily even though she tried to stay quiet. A light appeared in front of her and she tried to crouch lower but was startled by a stag patronus dancing around her head. The light shone in her direction and she blinked up at it to see Harry reaching down for her quickly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright? What happened?” he asked, grabbing her arm and hauling her to her feet. Her legs tangled in some branches and she stumbled forward, but Harry didn’t let her fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I returned to Dortmouth,” she explained vaguely. Harry frowned and extinguished his wand. “Someone cast a trace on the doorframe and whatever I do to try and remove it just feel like a knife to the back.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Harry nodded and cast impressive disillusionment charms on them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s probably the same spell Kingsley warned us was used at Sussex,” Harry explained. Hermione frowned and Harry paused. “The one that traced half the surviving Order without their knowledge. You know the spell. Kingsley said you broke it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did no such thing,” Hermione insisted, already thinking of what she’d say to Kingsley the second she saw him. “But it can be broken?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, just give me a second. It’s kind of complicated,” Harry grumbled. He raised his wand at her and concentrated, scrunching his forehead in determination. Behind them, the sounds of Death Eaters growing closer made Hermione want to run but she held still.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just when she was about to ask Harry what he was waiting for, she felt a cold tingling at the base of her spine and twisted around to see a small white light floating behind her. The light shot through the forest and disappeared, but Hermione didn’t care where it landed. She couldn’t feel it on her anymore and knew Harry’s been successful with whatever spell he’d cast.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“All good?” he asked. Hermione nodded and he grabbed her arm, apparating them away without another word.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They appeared in a small clearing that was protected with so many wards Hermione could feel them as soon as she arrived. There was an area dedicated to the hospital wing and Hermione could see many transfigured tents protecting the injured. Across the clearing were more tents Hermione assumed to be living quarters. Harry walked her through the camp, pointing out where they’d set up the cooking and where she and Ginny were now staying.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ron and I share the same tent,” he mumbled, looking a little red as he admitted it. “There was enough space, but after the attack, Ginny was pretty hurt and neither of us wanted—”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ginny was hurt?” Hermione interrupted. Harry nodded and they rerouted to the shared tent instead of Kingsley’s.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hermione burst into the space to see Ginny fast asleep on a bottom bunk with Ron lying on a bunk across from her. He looked up when they both walked in and jumped to his feet to hug her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Where the fuck did you go, Hermione?” Ron demanded as soon as he’d let her go. “We were attacked and you were nowhere to be seen.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Kingsley’s had me setting up safe house locations, I told you,” she reminded him. Ron frowned, but she didn’t give him time to argue. “Is Ginny okay? I heard she was hurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ron grimaced and stepped aside so Hermione could walk over to where Ginny was sleeping. There was a bandage around her head and gauze on her arm, but she was breathing and that’s what mattered.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What happened?” Hermione asked quietly, turning back to the boys for an explanation.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they explained, Hermione knew it had been her fault the safe house had been attacked. She’d triggered the wards on the nearby base just before noon and the attack had occurred not too long after. They thought it had been out of nowhere and Hermione didn’t correct them. It had been in the middle of the day, however, so they hadn’t been sleeping and the casualties were low.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Only you and five others were missing when we managed to leave,” Ron told her. Ginny had been by the front door when the Death Eater had first arrived. She’d been hit in the head with a slicing curse and narrowly dodged an </span>
  <em>
    <span>avada</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Someone had managed to get her away safely, but not before her arm had been broken and she was unconscious due to the hit to her head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Madam Pomfrey said she’d be okay,” Harry murmured, staring at Ginny. “But she won’t be back to normal for several days. Kingsley won’t let her fight again for two weeks due to the head injury.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“She’ll hate that,” Hermione said, smiling softly at the thought of Ginny being forced to stay on the sidelines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, she does,” Harry chuckled. Apparently, she’d argued with Kingsley even as her head was being bandaged and Madam Pomfrey was setting her arm. “I’ll probably still worry about her though even once she’s been cleared.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Don’t let her hear you say that,” Ron teased. Hermione snorted and Harry rolled his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They stayed in their tent for the remainder of the night even though Ginny didn’t wake up. Hermione cast a few extra charms to speed up the healing process and tended to her carefully like she would have if Ginny had been a patient in the hospital wing. When she finally curled up in her bed above Ginny’s, she pulled out the notebook Malfoy had given her and checked its pages. It was empty like usual, so she stuffed it back in her bag and rolled onto her stomach and fell asleep.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione spent the next day talking with Kingsley about the Order's next move and helping in the medical ward. Ginny woke up at one point and told her about how she'd stared Graham Montague in the face and cast a crucio before being hit the a curse to the head ("But don't tell anyone or Kingsley will have me socially hung," she'd added with an eye roll). Hermione hadn't breathed a word about it, but she had laughed at the thought and wondered if Ginny could really be held responsible, seeing as she was one of the Order's best fighters and clearly Kingsley needed her to keep fighting.</p><p>After a very disappointing meeting with Kingsley where she'd been told she would not be joining the battlefield, but she should meet with the Death Eater spy and demand more information, Hermione left the camp site under the excuse of searching for a new safe house. Instead, she apparated a kilometre south of the base she'd visited the day before and pitched a good hiding spot where she could see everything that happened around the area.</p><p>She stayed there for hours, but saw nothing. Whatever wards they had around the area were clearly designed to keep up the illusion the place was abandoned. Nevertheless, she stayed after night fell and waited for a sign that there were Death Eaters there.</p><p>It got cold quickly and while Hermione was good with warming spells, they could only do so much for an extended amount of time. When the moon was high and she was shivering in the cold, she decided it was finally time to leave. She wasn't making any progress staying there and there was no point of catching a cold for no reason, so she hoped out of the tree she'd been perched in and brushed off her trousers.</p><p>She froze as soon as she looked up from brushing herself off. She almost wasn't sure, but she could have sworn something had rippled in the air in front of her. It wasn't the same as a ward going off and she knew she hadn't triggered anything, but something had shifted and she could almost feel the after effects of the magic surrounding her.</p><p>Something shuffled behind her and Hermione whipped around, wand raised as her hood fell from her head. A tall, cloaked figure raised his wand at her and they disarmed each other in the same, nonverbal spell. Their wands went flying, but rather than panic, Hermione charged her attacker. Shoulder down and elbow drawn tightly to her body, she barrelled into the wizard and sent him tumbling to his feet. He grabbed her cloak and yanked her down with him, rolling them over until she was pinned beneath him. Snarling, Hermione brought her knee up sharply and kneed him hard enough he released her hands. She rolled out from under him and with a nonverbal, wandless spell, she had vines twisting around his wrists and holding him to the ground. She yanked off his hood and summoned her wand, ready to kill whoever had attacked her but paused. Draco Malfoy was glaring up at her with a bloody nose.</p><p>"Get off of me," he growled, bucking under her to emphasize his order.</p><p>Hermione rolled off his chest and removed the spell that bound his wrists, but didn't lower her wand.</p><p>"What the fuck are you doing out here?" she demanded, pulling a twig from her hair and smoothing down the braid Malfoy had so kindly messed up.</p><p>"Saving your ass apparently," Malfoy replied, glaring at her as he brushed off his cloak. "You broke the wards I set up when you fell out of your tree."</p><p>"Why are you setting up wards around a Death Eater base?" Hermione asked. She didn't bother correcting him about the tree part; it was unlikely he'd believe her or care either way.</p><p>"So stupid Order members don't get caught poking around," he replied. She glared at him as he mumbled, "Didn't think it'd be you."</p><p>"I came to check out the coordinates you gave me," she said, stabbing a finger at him. Malfoy pushed her hand away from his face and got to his feet, not bothering to help Hermione to hers. Not that she would have accepted his help.</p><p>"Anyone could have seen you," he told her. He pulled his hood back over his head but Hermione pulled it back off with a flick of her wand. His glare returned. "You're foolish if you think you'll be able to see anything. The wards around this place are designed to prevent prying eyes."</p><p>"I figured that much out," Hermione grumbled, rolling her eyes. There was an uncomfortable silence before Hermione remembered what Kingsley had asked of her before she left. She'd have to take advantage of Malfoy's sudden appearance, she realised with a groan and said, "Kingsley wants more information. After the attack on headquarters, he's unstable."</p><p>"I don't know much more than you," Malfoy replied shortly. Hermione narrowed her eyes, finding that hard to believe since Malfoy was a well-known and highly ranked Death Eater. "This isn't a popular base; only the rookies stay here."</p><p>"Well "the rookies" destroyed our headquarters and if it weren't for Harry, I'd probably be stuck in some Death Eater prison," Hermione snapped. She didn't bother explaining about the incident with the tracking charm since he likely already knew about it. "Your rookies also had Graham Montague with them who almost killed Ginny."</p><p>While he didn't show it very clearly, Hermione could tell Malfoy was surprised to hear about the Montague part. She wasn't sure if Malfoy and Montague were even friendly, but she knew they knew each other. Malfoy was sure to know Montague was no rookie.</p><p>"All I know is," Malfoy said, glaring at her when she attempted to interrupt. "That someone spotted movement outside your safe house and ordered an attack. Whatever wards were set up weren't good enough to keep prying eyes away, so maybe you could learn from the Death Eaters. Your Order isn't going to win if you don't take a spell out of our book."</p><p>Hermione glared at him, but it wasn't because she thought he was wrong. Kingsley had overseen the ward set-up on Dortmouth and hadn't insisted on regular upkeep. Despite hating the idea of it, she knew Malfoy was right and that she really should take a page out of the Death Eater's book when it came to protective wards.</p><p>Biting her lip and cursing Kingsley to hell and back, she dropped her glare and with a tight voice, she asked, "Do you know how to make the wards?"</p><p>Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her and leaned forward, almost mockingly.</p><p>"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked, smirking just enough that Hermione knew he knew what she wanted.</p><p>"The wards on this base and the others," she snapped. Her glare returned as he smirked and she asked, "Do you know how to set them up?"</p><p>"Are you asking for my help, Granger?" Malfoy teased. Hermione was certain she'd never glared at a person harder in her life than she glared at Malfoy in that moment. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking."</p><p>"Show me how to set up the wards or I'll turn you in to the Order," she threatened. Malfoy's teasing grin fell and he sneered at her.</p><p>"You don't have to threaten me, Granger," he snarled, summoning his wand and pulling up the robe of his cloak. "I'm already on the Order's side."</p><p>"Good," Hermione said shortly, raising her wand as well. "Then show me how to set up the wards."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione left the forest with the knowledge of three new wards she'd be placing on every Order base she knew of and a handy spell for checking for wards without setting any off. Malfoy had begrudgingly sworn to give her more regular updates and they'd parted ways after a very tense, rather uncomfortable session of him showing her how to do dark magic.</p><p>Not to her surprise, almost everyone was sleeping when she returned to the Order's new camp. She took the time to set up all three of the wards Malfoy had shown her and practically dragged herself back to her tent. Wards as powerful as the three she'd just set took a lot of energy and magic; to have practiced several times in the forest earlier and then do them once more over a larger camp had her swaying slightly as she walked. No one was awake to notice, though, and she made it all the way to her bed before she collapsed.</p><p>"Hermione?"</p><p>She groaned and rolled onto her back, blinking into the darkness as a voice called her name. She was still in her regular clothing, but she'd made it to her bed.</p><p>"Hermione?" the voice asked again. She blinked again and Harry and Ron were standing beside her bed.</p><p>"I'm okay," she grumbled, scrubbing her face with her hands and wondering when her arms had gotten so heavy. "Out for Kingsley," she explained dumbly.</p><p>"You've been gone all day," Ron told her with a frown. "It's past midnight."</p><p>"It took a long time," she said. Ron and Harry looked skeptical, but when they realised she wasn't in danger or hurt, they seemed to accept it. "I'm okay," she repeated for them.</p><p>"You shouldn't go out alone," Harry told her. He glanced to where Ginny was sleeping and she could see how worried he was. "It's dangerous; even with the Order, it's dangerous."</p><p>Hermione just nodded and after a few seconds, he and Ron returned to their beds. As much as she wanted to tell them both she'd gone to keep an eye on a Death Eater base, she knew it would only worry them. The last thing they wanted to hear is that she'd been within sight of a Death Eater base alone and well past dark. She'd just have to keep up the ruse that she'd been setting up a new safe house, though it wasn't a very unbelievable lie at this point.</p><p>It didn't seem like Hermione had fallen asleep, but when she blinked again, the darkness was gone and the sun was lighting up the tent. Ron was snoring across the room, but Harry was nowhere in sight. She leaned down to see the bunk below her and found both Harry and Ginny curled up and fast asleep.</p><p>Rather than lay back down in her bed, she quietly got up, showered, and got dressed before leaving the tent to find food. She'd never been one to sleep in and typically, after she woke up the first time in the morning, she had trouble going back to sleep. It was an advantage when living through a war, she supposed, but there were always days when she wished she could get a little extra sleep.</p><p>The camp was just waking up as she walked through the tents to find breakfast. Not many others were awake, but the medical wing was bustling. If Hermione wasn't in a bit of a rush to talk to Kingsley, she would have stopped to help for a while. She turned away instead, telling herself she would stop in after finding Kingsley.</p><p>Hermione didn't eat breakfast in the tent they were serving it. She got her bowl of oats and walked through the maze of tents instead, searching for Kingsley as she ate. He wasn't in his tent, so she wandered through any of the areas she thought he might be in. It wasn't until she'd finished her breakfast and sent the bowl back to the kitchens that she found him speaking with Harry outside of their tent. With a frown, she walked up behind him and waited for Harry to finish speaking.</p><p>"—and good," Harry said, nodding briefly at Hermione. Kingsley twisted around and glanced at her before turning back to Harry.</p><p>"I'll be by later to check again," Kingsley told him. Hermione saw Harry's jaw tighten and she narrowed her eyes at Kingsley, wondering what they'd been talking about. She didn't have much time to muse before Kingsley turned away from Harry and looked back at her. "How can I help you, Miss Granger?" he asked, grabbing hold of her arm and steering her away from where Harry was standing.</p><p>"We need better wards on our bases," she told him without preamble. Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "I met with our contact and aside from one or two strays, everyone that attacked Dortmouth was a rookie. The Order's gotten sloppy with setting up wards and we're paying for it."</p><p>"Might I remind you," Kingsley said, lowering his voice, "The Death Eaters use dark magic to build their wards; we do not."</p><p>"The Death Eaters are winning this war," Hermione snapped, turning sharply to face Kingsley. "I can only do so much for your Order. My contact is the reason more safe houses weren't destroyed like ours. Something needs to change."</p><p>Kingsley pursed his lips and looked around the camp. With a nod, he pulled Hermione into his tent and resealed it with a silencing spell. As soon as they were secure, he rounded on her.</p><p>"Your contact should have let us know about the attack before it happened," he said, accusing her of not sharing all the information she'd had. "We need to upgrade our wards, yes, but whoever your spy is should not be the one to tell us how to do so. I want information from him only, understood?"</p><p>"We can use him for more—"</p><p>"We will not fight dirty!" Kingsley yelled. Hermione glared at him and Kingsley glared right back. With a quieter voice, he said, "You are a strategist, Hermione, not a front line warrior. I need you to do two things, and two things only: design our attack formations and keep this alliance."</p><p>"I—"</p><p>"If I find out you've taken control of our contact and are overriding my orders," Kingsley interrupted, eyeing her dangerously, "Both positions will be transferred to someone who will obey their leader and you will take up a position with Poppy."</p><p>Hermione fumed. She knew Kingsley had been slowly pushing her off the battlefield after she'd used an avada in an ambush, but she hadn't expected such a blatant command. Why, she wasn't sure. She knew Kingsley had been chosen to lead the Order for a reason, but she tended to forget just why.</p><p>"I will create countercurses for what's seen on the battlefield," Hermione countered tightly. "Snape cannot, so I'll take that up as well."</p><p>"Very well," Kingsley said stiffly. He motioned to the tent door and the flaps opened. "You're dismissed."</p><p>Hermione stormed out of the tent and didn't stop moving until she was well out of range from the camp. She looked around the silent forest and without using her wand, she sent a frustrated blast of magic out in every direction and screamed.</p><p>This wasn't how this war was supposed to go. Harry was supposed to have defeated Voldemort over a year ago at Hogwarts, not watch as Voldemort disappeared in front of him. Even so, Hermione was supposed to be on the battlefield alongside Harry and Ron instead of stuck doing Kingsley's office work. She enjoyed spellwork and creating countercurses, but not when that was the thing keeping her from fighting. For Merlin's sake, they weren't even winning! They were struggling to stay on their feet even with the help of Malfoy and Snape.</p><p>
  <em>Your Order isn't going to win if you don't take a spell out of our book.</em>
</p><p>Hermione hated that Malfoy's words rang through her head without her permission and in front of her, a tree burst into flames. She had half a mind to let it burn, but the smoke was sure to draw attention so she put the fire out and got rid of the smoke. With a huff, she dropped to the ground and leaned against the trunk of the smouldering tree.</p><p>There wasn't much she could do with Kingsley keeping her from the front lines. Even designing countercurses wouldn't do much good if she couldn't see the wand movements or hear the words spoken when the curse was cast. Neither of those excuses would get her back to fighting though, so she wouldn't waste her time. Kingsley was not known to change his mind so for the foreseeable future, she'd be stuck between the medical wing and meetings with Malfoy. With a little luck, Malfoy would uncover some grand information that would help them win this war in a week. Unfortunately, she didn't have much faith such a thing would happen.</p><p>After several minutes cursing Voldemort to his grave and throwing in some colourful words about Kingsley as well, Hermione walked back to the camp and made her way to the medical wing. Even if it was what Kingsley had ordered her to do, Hermione knew she could do more good there than in the forest cursing wizards and an endless war. After all, the last thing she wanted to do was be useless.</p><p>"Hermione!" Padma exclaimed, rushing up to her the second Hermione had stepped into the tent. "Thank goodness you're here!" She looked so relieved Hermione worried something had gone wrong in the short time she'd been away from the hospital. Before she could really start to panic though, Padma said, "I'm starving! I left a chart with the rounds floating there. Bye!"</p><p>"Wait, Padma—"</p><p>Padma was gone before Hermione could ask her anything else, so she sighed and summoned the chart she had mentioned, glad nothing seemed to have gone terribly wrong in her absence. Padma and Madam Pomfrey were definitely capable of running the medical wing by themselves, but sometimes unknown curses came in and it was really Hermione who had the best chances of getting rid of them. It was part of why she'd decided to do more work in the hospital than on the battlefield in the first place.</p><p>Most of the patients were still sleeping, but a few had woken up and were glad to see Hermione had returned. She chatted quietly with the few who wanted to talk and checked with Oliver to see if he was feeling any better from the new curse he'd been hit with. Pomfrey had been able to modify her countercurse enough that those who had been hit with the curse were now able to heal normally, much to Hermione's relief.</p><p>"It was Padma's idea to perform both the counter spell you created and the one for regular acid burns at the same time," Pomfrey said when Hermione asked about it. When both spells had been performed at exactly the same time, it seemed to completely counteract the new acid curse.</p><p>Hermione continued doing check-ups on those who woke up. Not many of them were up to talk, but there were a few who asked what she'd been up to and if they should be worrying about any new attacks on the Order safe houses.</p><p>"It doesn't look like it," she assured a young girl. She didn't immediately recognise her and wondered if she'd been transferred from one of the other safe houses. When she asked, the girl nodded.</p><p>"I was at a safe house in Camberley," she said, twisting her fingers in her blanket nervously. "Most of us got out, but I was the closest to the blast."</p><p>"Blast?" Hermione asked before she could stop the word from leaving her mouth. The girl nodded.</p><p>"The Death Eaters blew up the building," she said quietly. Hermione's eyes glanced over her injuries as she explained that even though everyone had been far from the building, the Death Eaters had still made sure to flatten the building and prevent anyone from ever being able to rebuild it. "It was almost like they'd combined a <em>bombarda</em> spell with a muggle bomb."</p><p>Hermione's mind was already spinning with this new information, so she said a half-hearted goodbye and quickly finished up with her. As she left the girl's bed, her brain was filled without questions, the least of being why Kingsley hadn't shared with her the details of the attack on the Order. While an explosion wasn't difficult to believe, until then, the Death Eaters hadn't devastated whole buildings. It was too muggle for them.</p><p>She stopped mid-stride as she was suddenly hit with an idea.</p><p>
  <em>Your Order isn't going to win if you don't take a spell out of our book.</em>
</p><p>Maybe Kingsley wouldn't like it and perhaps it was a bit too muggle, but there was currently no rule in wizarding warfare that said she couldn't. She was certain the Death Eaters weren't playing by the rule book as it was and technically she wasn't going against Kingsley's orders since it wasn't stepping onto the battlefield. Bombing a Death Eater base would be no easy feat, but if anyone could do it, it would be her. And she had just the place to try it on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione kept to herself that week. She helped in the hospital each morning and in the afternoons, she'd attend Kingsley's strategy meetings and suggest new attack formations. If she was lucky, Kingsley would ask if she had new information from Malfoy even though the answer was typically no. Afterward, no matter how tired she was or whether or not Ginny was in the tent while she did it, she'd spend the rest of the day pouring over the few books she had access to and scribbling notes on a spare parchment. She didn't know much about muggle bombs or wizarding bombs, but she knew enough magic that she was certain she could figure something out in a matter of time.</p><p>After two days of pouring out ideas, Hermione was ready to test her first one. It wasn't very efficient and was really just for her to see if she was on the right track, but it counted as a first trial nonetheless. She hadn't expected it to be such a success when she cast a handcrafted spell on a pebble in the forest, but she'd blown over three of the nearest trees and only managed to stop the resulting damage with some quickly cast shielding charms. After she was sure the forest wouldn't keep falling apart, she let herself do a happy squeal and race back to camp to continue her work.</p><p>It became very obvious to Hermione early on that unless she wanted to walk between her tent and the forest several times a day, she would need to move all her research into the forest. Everyday after the Order's regular meeting, she would grab her satchel and walk far enough out in the trees that she didn't worry about anyone from the Order overhearing. She'd also strung together a variety of shields and wards to surround the area with so the forest wasn't devastated after each test run and no one accidentally heard or saw what she was working on.</p><p>It wasn't until she was standing behind several shield charms and watching her bomb burn a meter deep hole in the ground and level the six trees around it that she knew it was ready. The small pebble she'd spelled into a specially triggered bomb had caused massive damage to the area she'd shielded in to contain the blast. She'd felt it blow through her wards and all but the last shield around the area had been shattered due to the force of the blast. Within the protected area, the ground was smouldering and Hermione wouldn't have known there were trees there if she hadn't seen them before.</p><p>She made quick work cleaning up the area and repairing the forest. Even though most of the other Order members didn't wander into the forest, she couldn't be too careful. She made sure to repair the area outside of where the bomb had gone off and then placed heavy wards around the damaged area so no one would uncover it. After so many tests, there was no way that particular portion of the forest would recover.</p><p>From the time she left the forest until she had safely stowed away her satchel in her tent, she didn't stop to talk to anyone. She didn't think they would be able to sense the residual dark magic she'd resorted to, but she didn't want to risk it. Even though it was only minor spells and she'd really just added them to enhance the overall destruction of the bombs, she didn't want to try and explain to the Order why she'd even known how to dabble in the art.</p><p>"Hermione?" Ginny groaned.</p><p>Hermione climbed down from her bunk where she'd hidden her satchel and sat on the edge of Ginny's bed. From the looks of it, she'd just woken up from a nap.</p><p>"How do you feel? Should I get you more potions?" Hermione asked, flicking her wand and casting a diagnostic scan on Ginny. Ginny waved her off and sat up.</p><p>"I'm fine," she assured her. "I'm healing as fast as I can, but if the three of you would stop fussing, that would be greatly appreciated."</p><p>Hermione rolled her eyes. Even though it was clear Ginny would make a full recovery and likely be back to fighting by the end of next week, the boys hadn't stopped fussing over her. The other Weasleys stopped in whenever they could as well and after seeing how annoyed Ginny was getting with the attention, Hermione had tried to back off.</p><p>"You look like you had a good rest," Hermione said. Ginny nodded, gesturing to the empty tent.</p><p>"No one's around to wake me up," she said. Though she said it with a smile, Hermione could tell Ginny didn't enjoy being stuck in the tent alone. "Harry said something about Kingsley sending a small ambush up north, but he didn't say much. Do you know anything about it?"</p><p>"I know the attack plan, but no details," Hermione replied, refraining from telling Ginny that Kingsley decided to pull her from the battlefield indefinitely. That would lead to too many questions and quite possibly make Ginny worry more. "I'll talk to Kingsley for you though; see what I can find out."</p><p>"Thank you," Ginny replied. She leaned back against her bedframe and rubbed her head. "While you're out, I wouldn't mind another potion for my head."</p><p>"Of course," Hermione said, smiling.</p><p>She got up from Ginny's bed and went straight to the hospital wing. While she hadn't planned on staying, she ended up checking over all of the patients who were still under watch from the new acid curse and assisting Padma for a bit. She learned how Padma and Madam Pomfrey cast the cure for the new acid spell and made a mental note to teach Harry and Ron in case it ever happened to one of them later on.</p><p>"Oliver's been asking for you," Padma told her as she walked past Hermione. She gestured to where Oliver's cot was set up and when Hermione frowned in confusion, she shrugged. "I think he just misses the familiar company, but you never know with the Irish these days."</p><p>"I'll be right over," Hermione said. She finished wrapping a nasty burn on her current patient's arm, making sure the dittany was perfectly placed, then stepped back. She made sure to let the woman know the burns should be gone by that evening, but she'd have to wait for Pomfrey to officially release her later. "She should be by tomorrow morning and I'll make sure you're at the top of her list," Hermione promised.</p><p>"Thank you, Hermione," the woman said. Hermione nodded and left her cot to go visit Oliver shortly.</p><p>Just like Hermione had expected, the boy just wanted to talk. Oliver had grinned as soon as he spotted her and asked how her research was going. He filled her in on the spells Pomfrey and Padma had performed and how he already felt as good as new.</p><p>"Well, as new as anyone with scarred organs can be," he teased. Hermione gave him a small smile and after making sure he was feeling alright, she grabbed a vial of pain potion and headed back for Ginny.</p><p>As promised, she stopped by Kingsley's tent to ask about the ambush Harry and Ron had been sent on. Kingsley wouldn't tell her much, but he did tell her when they were expected back and that she'd be needed in the hospital wing at a moment's notice ("Just in case."). Hermione hadn't even left Kingsley's tent before she was forming a plan for her own ambush that night. With several Order members gone—two of whom were the most likely to notice her disappearance—it would be the perfect time to slip away and lay her bombs around the Death Eater base by Dortmouth. Kingsley wouldn't hear about it until much later as he'd be preoccupied with his own ambush and the base full of rookies wouldn't know to be on edge when another attack was taking place so far away. With a little luck, she could get all the way back to the hospital wing without Ginny even noticing she was missing.</p><p>As she returned to the tent to give Ginny her potion, she'd already come up with a seamless excuse and a sure fire way to keep Ginny from getting suspicious.</p><p>"I'm to wait in the medical wing until they all come back safely," Hermione said after telling Ginny the boys were expected back late that night. "They could use a little extra help right now anyway, but this way I won't have to wait for the call."</p><p>"Send me a patronus when the first one arrives, okay?" Ginny asked. Hermione nodded, watching Ginny gulp down the potion and scrunch her face up in disgust. "That never gets better."</p><p>Hermione laughed and got up from Ginny's bed, summoning her bag. She waited until Ginny had settled back in her bed before leaving the tent again, heading for the forest instead of the medical tent.</p><p>While she had a few already crafted, Hermione wanted to transfigure more pebbles into bombs just to be safe. She was certain two would take care of the base if placed properly, but she was never one to leave any uncertainty, so she transfigured and spelled two more pebbles and gently set them in her bag. She apparated to the same spot she'd been when Malfoy found her and frowned at the memory. If he'd set up more wards and interrupted her perfectly planned attack, she'd have his head. The Order would do fine without him.</p><p>Ever so carefully, Hermione cast the ward detection spell Malfoy had shown her. An impressive list appeared in front of her and Hermione took several minutes to study it. Not all of the wards would need to come down, but she'd definitely need to remove the ones that would alert them to her presence. Even levitating a pebble through them would trigger the magic and she couldn't very well have Death Eaters swarm the forest when she needed them inside the base for the explosion. Rookies or not, they'd destroyed the Dortmouth safe house and were a threat to the Order.</p><p>Hermione had never actually removed a ward she hadn't set up before. At least, none that had similar consequences if she failed. Failure would lead to her triggering the wards and having to give up her plan in order to escape an army of Death Eaters.</p><p>"Fuck it," Hermione grumbled. They were rookies; she could easily set the bombs and flee before they had enough time to find her.</p><p>Throwing caution to the wind, Hermione levitated all four pebbles and sent them soaring through the wards. The triggered wards sent a wave of rippling magic towards her, but Hermione didn't lose her concentration. She watched the wards tumble to the ground and reveal what sounded like a siren. Two boys came rushing out of the building and looked around the area, wands drawn as they looked for the intruder. Hermione's concentration wavered only for a second as she tried to identify them but was unsuccessful.</p><p>It all happened in a second, but it felt like several minutes had passed before she'd set the pebbles where she needed them. The siren wailed for the third time as she scrambled further into the forest and set up an array of shields, making sure she was thoroughly protected from the incoming blast. Another Death Eater stepped out of the building right as she flicked her wrist to trigger the bombs.</p><p>Even from behind the shields she'd put up, the blast sent her flying backward in a tree. Her ears rang and the resounding boom echoed in her skull. Slightly dizzy, she looked up from where she'd been thrown to the ground to see a huge column of smoke rising to the sky. The entire clearing was black and ash rained from the sky as the only remains of the base. One of the Death Eaters that had left the building first was screaming down below, but Hermione knew he wouldn't live long. There was no way he'd escape without life threatening injuries and there was no living person around who would help him.</p><p>Certain that the base was sufficiently taken care of, Hermione apparated back to the forest outside the Order's camp and brushed off her clothes. She had only two hours before those who had left on the ambush returned and the hospital could probably use some assistance, so she sent her satchel back to her tent and ducked into the medical wing to see how she could help.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well, fuck him upside down and call him a muggle. The last thing he had expected to hear that afternoon was that their base near Dortmouth had been attacked and leveled in less than a minute and without any seen attackers. He hadn't even fully believed what he'd heard, thinking Theo was just joking until he'd been told his Uncle Rabastan had headed an investigation of the area. He'd been on his way to talk with his father when Theo pulled him aside and convinced him to come along too.</p><p>Visiting the site seemed impossible. The wards were shattered and the only sign there had ever been a building on the ground was the fact that there were still smouldering boards. He only found two bodies and they both looked like they'd taken a heavy hit from the explosion. Whatever spell had been used had obviously been very cleverly crafted.</p><p>Beside him, Theo whistled lowly and kicked a charred rock. It split in half and Theo looked up at Draco with wide eyes.</p><p>"I didn't think there were even spells for this sort of thing," he mumbled. They stepped over something long and narrow, looking around the deserted grounds as a few others roamed the area.</p><p>"There's not," Draco muttered. In all his experience with the dark arts and magic, he'd never encountered something that reacted like this. The explosion had left residual dark magic lingering, so whoever had done this wouldn't be untraceable. They also wouldn't be part of the Order as he knew it.</p><p>"This is dark magic though, yeah?" Theo asked. He used his wand to scan the ashes but the report was inconclusive. "It couldn't possibly have been the Order." Theo's lip curled and he said, "No way Saint Potter would allow it."</p><p>"Potter isn't the only one in the Order," Montague chimed in. Theo and Draco both looked up at the unwanted voice and shared an annoyed look. "He might not have done it, but who's to say one of his goons didn't?"</p><p>"You think Granger or Weasley could have done this?" Theo asked in disbelief. He scoffed. "Granger's just as much a saint as Potter and Weasley can't tell which end of the wand points out."</p><p>Montague rolled his eyes and stepped away from them, but Draco hesitated. Weasley was stupid and Potter was a saint, but Granger was unpredictable from what he'd seen in his short time as her contact. It was actually very likely she'd had at least some knowledge of whatever went down here. After all, she was the only Order member he knew of that could craft such a spell.</p><p>"What are you thinking?" Theo asked, shoving his head. Draco snarled at him and swatted his hand back. "You don't really think the Order did this, do you? They've been so useless at everything else."</p><p>Draco just shrugged. There was no easy way to explain his theory to Theo, so he kept it to himself.</p><p>"If it wasn't the Order, then we've got another enemy to watch out for, don't we?" he replied. Theo hummed and nodded as he thought about it. "Personally, I prefer to know just what I'm up against."</p><p>The longer he thought about it the more he realised it had to have been Granger. No one else in the Order had given any indication of dabbling in the dark arts and it was clear to him that Granger was not very fond of Shacklebolt's way of fighting. Even though she'd never expressly told him as much, Draco knew she had other ways she would be using his allegiance than how rest of the Order saw fit.</p><p>It wasn't until he was leaving the site that he was certain she'd had some influence in it. He scribbled a quick note to her and apparated to Grimmauld Place, waiting impatiently for her to appear.</p><p>For all her pompous glory and sickening display of manners, Granger didn't arrive for two hours after he'd written her. He'd been considering leaving when he'd heard a soft pop outside and watched the doorknob twist. He didn't even wait for her to fully step inside before he rounded on her.</p><p>"You're fucking stupid," was the first thing that came out of his mouth. It wasn't exactly what he'd meant to say, but it got the point across well enough.</p><p>Granger narrowed her eyes at him and scowled, letting the door slam shut behind her.</p><p>"I think my Hogwarts notes say otherwise, but sure, let's talk about this," she snapped back. Draco rolled his eyes as she stepped further into the room. He could see her wand tucked up her sleeve, but he wasn't terribly worried about her hexing him.</p><p>"The Dortmouth base," he told her, watching her closely. "It was leveled this evening with no witnesses or trace to follow. Everyone was dead and there's nothing but ash."</p><p>"Sounds impressive," Granger said shortly. She had the audacity to look clueless even though Draco could see the dark magic clinging to her hair. It was a silent spell and he'd almost forgotten to cast it before she'd walked through the door, but it had given him the proof he'd wanted.</p><p>"How did you build the bomb?" Draco asked. Granger didn't say a word, but he hadn't expected her to. "It was based in the dark arts so I know Shacklebolt didn't permit it. How'd you do it? Alchemy? Potions?"</p><p>"Transfiguration and spellwork," Granger told him sharply. Her eyes were still narrowed and she looked like she trusted him about as much as a mouse trusted a kneazle, but she still explained, "I used muggle science for the base explosion, spellwork to enhance it, and transfiguration to manipulate ingredients into what I needed. The dark magic was just there to ensure success."</p><p>"You were more than successful and you know it," Draco said. Granger hummed and her untrusting gaze turned into one of vague amusement.</p><p>"You don't know me, Draco Malfoy," she reminded him, letting her wand slip from her sleeve and remove the spell he'd cast to detect the dark magic on her. "If you did, you'd know I would never have let there be a chance for failure. I knew I only needed two bombs, but I made four because I could."</p><p>"You were stupid," Draco repeated. Granger glared at him and made a chair from the other room soar toward his head. Draco dodged it and sent up a shield before she could send the table at his head as well. "You were lucky this time, but you certainly won't be next time. If you show up to a base alone, you're bound to get caught."</p><p>"You don't know if I was alone—"</p><p>"I do," Draco interrupted. He didn't very well care about her so much as the fact that if she was taken by Death Eaters, the Order would have to give him a new contact and Merlin knew he couldn't stand talking to Weasel or someone worse. "You really think I'd believe you brought another Order member with you to set off a bomb made with dark magic?"</p><p>"Get to the point," Granger demanded, crossing her arms in front of her. She blew a wisp of hair out of her face and glared at Draco. He would have been a little amused if he wasn't so annoyed.</p><p>"You said yourself you wanted to use my alliance for more than just a game of owl," he said. She attempted to tell him she'd said no such thing, but Draco interrupted her before she could get very far. "I know you meant it," he scowled at her and she scowled right back. "You're not the only one who wants that either. I'm useless as long as I'm just delivering information and you're bound to end up with the Death Eaters if you keep going alone, so we should—" He choked on his own words as he realised what he'd been about to suggest. Granger seemed to realise it too because she immediately shook her head.</p><p>"Absolutely not."</p><p>"I don't think you really get a say," Draco said, pointing his wand at her accusingly. She didn't even flinch. "You mindlessly leveled a Death Eater base and got away lucky. If you want any chance of success ever again, you'll take me with you and both make ourselves useful for the Order."</p><p>"You just want the credit," Granger accused. Draco groaned and almost put his head through the nearest wall. Merlin, she was dense. "I have direct orders from Kingsley not to use your allegiance in any way he doesn't specifically command. There's no way in hell I'm dragging you along."</p><p>"It's not dragging me along if I'm forcing you to invite me," Draco snapped. They glared at each other for several silent seconds.</p><p>"Fine," Granger said tightly. Draco raised an eyebrow at her, surprised she seemed to be agreeing until she followed it up with, "But only once. If you're useless to me, you'll stay out of my way, but if you prove useful, we can work together."</p><p>The spit out the last word with a glare and Draco rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Sounds agreeable," he replied. Granger nodded once and looked away from him.</p><p>"I'll write you a message then I suppose," she said, taking a step toward the door. "If you want to be useful, you'll send me potential locations."</p><p>Draco probably would have told her to fuck off, but she was gone before he could even form the words.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Returning to the Order was easier than it had ever been. Hermione apparated in without receiving a second glance and she made it all the way to her bed without anyone noticing. When she woke up in the morning, she was quick to have breakfast then move to the medical wing. The work was dull as there hadn't been many lasting injuries from the ambush last night, so Hermione was able to lose herself to her thoughts up until lunch. It wasn't until she ducked into the tent during lunch to see Ginny reading that Hermione realised she should check the notebook Malfoy had given her. She couldn't very well ask him to send her information and then not check for it.</p><p>"Have a good morning?" Ginny asked, watching Hermione clamber up to her bunk.</p><p>Hermione grunted and pulled her notebook from her satchel, flipping to the front page as she said, "Yeah. Rather dull, but I suppose that's good, yeah?"</p><p>Ginny hummed and said something else, but Hermione didn't hear as she read Malfoy's note. She hadn't really expected something so soon, but clearly he had plenty of information about where they should target first if the detailed paragraph he'd written was anything to go by.</p><p>"—leave soon?"</p><p>Hermione looked up sharply at Ginny who seemed to know she'd not been listening.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Gin, what?" she asked. She stuffed her notebook in her pocket so Ginny wouldn't ask questions, making a mental note to scribble a note back to Malfoy in a minute.</p><p>"It's been a bit over a week," Ginny repeated. Hermione blinked. She'd completely forgotten about time, if she were honest. Everything just blurred together after the attack on Hogwarts. "Do you think I'll be able to leave soon?"</p><p>"I don't know, Ginny," Hermione sighed. She wanted to tell Ginny good news, but she also knew letting her back on the battlefield too early would be a mistake. "You'll have to have a healer examine—"</p><p>"You are a healer."</p><p>"A real healer," Hermione told her, giving Ginny a look. Ginny rolled her eyes. "I'm not official and you know Kingsley won't care unless it's Pomfrey who discharges you."</p><p>Ginny huffed and threw her legs over the bed to stand up. Hermione watched as she grabbed a jacket. Ginny looked up at Hermione expectantly and Hermione knew without having to ask that Ginny wanted her to take her to the medical wing.</p><p>"Fine," Hermione grumbled, already imagining the lecture she'd get from Harry or Ron. "But if Pomfrey says you stay, then you stay."</p><p>"Yes, ma'am," Ginny replied with a grin. She looped her arm through Hermione's and together, they walked across camp to the medical tent.</p><p>Hermione walked Ginny to an empty cot and had her sit down while she went to find Madam Pomfrey. She waited patiently until she was done with her patient and stepped forward when Madam Pomfrey finally looked up at her.</p><p>"Ginny Weasley wants to be discharged," Hermione explained. Madam Pomfrey looked up to where Ginny was waiting on a cot and sighed. "Kingsley needs you to be the one to dismiss her or else I would have done it myself."</p><p>Madam Pomfrey walked with her to Ginny's cot. She hadn't even reached the side of the cot before she was scolding Ginny for getting up without assistance and trying to get discharged early. Ginny only tried to argue once before giving up and looking at Hermione with a small glare. Hermione just snorted and waited for Madam Pomfrey to finish.</p><p>"Well, you're certainly not to go fighting for another four days," Madam Pomfrey announced, giving Ginny a very stern look. "I suppose you're free to do other things around the camp, but I'll make sure Mr. Shacklebolt knows you're not ready to fight yet."</p><p>Ginny looked upset, but Hermione could tell she was trying not to be. At the very least, she could roam through the camp and help in the kitchens or attend meetings now rather than stay inside the tent all day. Madam Pomfrey gave her a potion to accelerate her healing further then sent them out of the medical tent. As Hermione expected, Ginny went right to Kingsley to tell him she was cleared so Hermione took the time to return to the tent and check her notebook again. She ducked in, looking around for the boys before pulling out the notebook and flicking through it. She stared down at the elegant handwriting, reading it quickly before grabbing the satchel from her bed.</p><p><em>Grimmauld place tonight at midnight. Bring those bombs from Dortmouth</em>.</p><p>Refusing to think about how she was actually going to do what Malfoy told her, she hurried through the camp and back to the forest where she'd first built the bombs. She wasn't sure how many they would need as Malfoy had been vague in his note, so she spent the afternoon carefully making two and placing several protection charms around them. If they ended up only needing one, she didn't want to forget about the other two during a fight. The last thing she wanted was to be blown apart by her own creation.</p><hr/><p>Hermione apparated to Grimmauld Place five minutes before midnight. With her bag slung over her shoulder and her wand securely in its holster, she stepped inside to wait for Malfoy. She did not expect to see him leaning against the wall sipping a cup of tea as if he'd been there for hours before her.</p><p>"I pegged you for a ten-minutes-early kind of person, not five minutes," he said, vanishing his tea cup and pushing off the wall.</p><p>"And I thought you'd be late," she retorted. Malfoy rolled his eyes and extended his arm to her. She raised an eyebrow at him and did not move.</p><p>"Do you want to splinch yourself getting there?" he asked irritatedly. Hermione scowled and took one step forward but didn't reach out to him quite yet.</p><p>"If you turn me in, you're dead, Malfoy," she warned, grabbing his arm warily. Without a word, Malfoy apparated them both from Grimmauld Place.</p><p>Hermione's head spun when they landed and she wobbled forward, but Malfoy yanked her to the left before she could right herself. Immediately assuming he'd betrayed her, Hermione slipped her wand from its holster and pulled away from him. Malfoy grunted and held her tighter.</p><p>"Let me go, bastard," she hissed. Malfoy glared at her and shook her roughly, only making her head swim more.</p><p>"Shut up or you'll get us caught," he warned. Hermione was about to bite back with something about how they didn't have to worry about that since he'd betrayed her, but she realised they were completely alone and in a small room.</p><p>Hermione paused, taking a few seconds to look around the room they seemed to be in. It was not large, hardly bigger than a broom closet and Hermione suddenly realised that Malfoy hadn't apparated them outside of the building they were going to destroy, but inside.</p><p>"Where the fuck did you bring me?" Hermione hissed, looking up at Malfoy. The room was not very well lit so she could hardly make out his face, but she could clearly see his form in front of her.</p><p>"The Dark Lord has a growing base in Bristol," Malfoy said shortly. His head moved and he asked, "How many of those bombs did you bring?"</p><p>"Three."</p><p>The room was silent and for the first time, Hermione wished Malfoy would say something. He knew how large the base was. If he could tell her, she could figure out where the best places to set the bombs they had were and if they were enough. Rather than tell her though, he raised his wand and a small replica of a building floated between them.</p><p>"This is the building, Granger," Malfoy told her, though she'd already figured that much out. "Where do you need the bombs?"</p><p>Hermione looked over the model of the building in front of her. Without knowing the exact size of the building, she couldn't be sure how close or far they would have to place the bombs to fully destroy the base. Deciding to play it safe, she chose three points to form a triangle then looked up at Malfoy.</p><p>"How many levels are there?" she asked. Malfoy flicked his wand and the three lines appeared through the building to show four different levels. "Any underground?"</p><p>"All except the top," Malfoy told her. Hermione blinked. Well, that was not ideal but it was good to know, she supposed.</p><p>"We'll set one on each of the three lower levels," she told him. Using her wand, she pointed to each room she wanted to set one of the bombs. Malfoy simply nodded, not saying a word until she'd finished speaking.</p><p>"There's a chance we'll get caught," he said, looking up from the building model. The glow from the model allowed her to see his face as he pursed his lips.</p><p>"Just don't get me killed and I think I can live with that," she said, wondering for a moment what Malfoy would do if they were discovered. Even with everything she knew about him from their school years, she couldn't be sure how he would act in such a situation. She hoped she wouldn't have to find out.</p><p>"You're placing a lot of trust in me, Granger," Malfoy said with a smirk. The map vanished but not before Hermione made out Malfoy's little smirk and the way he extended his arm to her once more.</p><p>"I'm just thinking about how if this is a mistake, I'll get to kill you," Hermione replied. She couldn't see his face, but she heard him scoff. As soon as she touched his arm again, he apparated sharply and Hermione almost cursed him.</p><p>They landed softer than the last time, but Hermione's head was still foggy and it took her an extra second before she reached into her bag and pulled out a bomb. Malfoy kept an eye on the door as she hid the bomb under a support beam and removed the protection spells. She jumped to her feet and walked quickly back over to him.</p><p>"Go," she said. Her eyes snapped to the door knob that began to twist, but Malfoy apparated them away before she could see who was about to enter.</p><p>When they landed in the second room, Hermione dug through her bag blindly for the next bomb. Malfoy left her side immediately and she didn't realise why until she looked up at a bright flash of green. Just a few steps ahead of her, Malfoy was holding his wand out and Milicent Bullstrode crumpled to the ground. Hermione blinked, holding the bomb in one hand as she realised Malfoy hadn't hesitated before killing one of his school mates.</p><p>"You—"</p><p>"Plant the bomb, Granger," Malfoy said tightly. "Bulstrode raised an alarm before I stopped her."</p><p>Hermione hastily set the bomb and removed the protection spells. Malfoy grabbed her arm before she had stepped back and she was abruptly taken to the third room. Their luck seemed to run out as they looked up to see three others looking at them.</p><p>Everyone seemed to raise their wands at the same time, but no one fired a spell until the alarm Bulstrode had set off warned about intruders. They all snapped to attention and Hermione barely got her shield up in time. Several killing curses barreled into her shield at once and beside her, Malfoy grunted.</p><p>"Drop it," Malfoy instructed as she removed the protection spells. Hermione removed the spells and deflected an angry purple curse at the same time before looping her arm through Malfoy's. Without further prompting, Malfoy apparated out of the room and they were dropped barely within sight of a run down shed.</p><p>"That's the base?" Hermione asked, staring at the dump of a shed. Malfoy nodded once and Hermione triggered the bombs. Beneath them, the ground rumbled and Hermione knew they were too close. "Run," she said, grabbing Malfoy's arm and shoved him. "Run!"</p><p>Hermione shoved Malfoy forward and the two took off across the empty field. Ahead, she could just barely make out a tree that should be out of range, so she grabbed Malfoy's arm and apparated them to it. As soon as they landed, the ground they had been standing on caved in and a loud boom echoed through the field. The shack was crumpled and the ground was a giant sinkhole where the base had been underground.</p><p>Her ears were ringing, but she still turned to Malfoy and asked, "How big was that base?"</p><p>Malfoy shrugged and glanced past her to the destroyed land.</p><p>"Big enough your Order should notice the difference," Malfoy answered. He returned his wand to its holster in his sleeve but Hermione kept hers at her side. "Now, is that enough to convince you that you need my help?"</p><p>Hermione scowled at him, but it didn't last long as she turned to look back at the destroyed land behind them. If the base was as big as Malfoy seemed to imply, his help would be vital. She could go around Kingsley and make this work. After all, Kingsley couldn't get too mad if it resulted in the Order winning, right?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione was awoken to Harry shaking her roughly and Ginny and Ron bickering in the background. She almost smacked the blur of black hair above her, but stopped when it very excitedly told her someone had destroyed an entire base of Death Eaters just like Dortmouth.</p><p>"I'm sleeping," Hermione grumbled in reply, though she doubted she'd be able to fall back asleep now. She sat up and crawled to the end of her bunk bed so she could climb down. "How do you know anyway? It's barely morning."</p><p>"It's almost nine o'clock," Harry told her. Hermione frowned and looked toward the tent door to see how much light was outside. "Kingsley came by personally and asked if Ron or I had led the attack which is how I found out. No one knows how or who, but the Death Eaters took a major hit last night."</p><p>"Any idea how many they lost?" Hermione asked. Malfoy hadn't cared to tell her, so if Harry knew anything, she'd take it. Harry shook his head, however, and Hermione almost groaned. All she wanted to know was how many Death Eaters there had been.</p><p>"Kingsley asked if you'd led it," Harry said, eyeing Hermione briefly. "I told him you'd been in the tent all night."</p><p>"I was," Hermione said. Harry pursed his lips but didn't argue, so Hermione changed the subject. Harry had lied for her and she didn't need him taking it back. "Ginny's been discharged from medical."</p><p>That drew Ginny and Ron's attention back to them and they turned away from each other to join Harry and Hermione. Ginny excitedly reminded them all she'd be released to fight in a matter of days which prompted both Harry and Ron to tell her it was alright to wait. Hermione just smiled and sat back as Ginny very passionately told them they could fuck off.</p><p>"Merlin, Gin," Ron grumbled, glancing at Harry. "We just want you to stay safe."</p><p>"I'll be just as safe fighting as I was before," Ginny said hotly. She looked at Hermione and Hermione's eyes flew wide open. "We're going to breakfast, Hermione, and I do so hope we stay safe."</p><p>Ginny left the tent in a flurry and Hermione hurried after her, casting both Ron and Harry apologetic looks. She caught up to Ginny and the two of them made their way to the breakfast tent where they ate quietly then parted ways. Ginny was hoping to talk to Kingsley about leading her own attack while Hermione wanted to get to the medical wing before Malfoy wrote again.</p><p>It occurred to Hermione as she was leaving the medical tent that she should probably talk to Kingsley to see if there was any information or updates he wanted from Malfoy when she met him, so she changed directions and walked toward his tent instead of where dinner was starting.</p><p>Moody stepped out of Kingsley's tent right as Hermione arrived. She stepped aside, but Moody barely glanced at her as he passed. Frowning, she ducked into Kingsley's tent and cast a sound-proofing spell before he'd turned to face her.</p><p>"Hermione," he said in greeting. "I'm sure you've heard the news."</p><p>"I'm going to meet with our contact tonight about it," Hermione said. As the Order didn't know that much about the attack, she could use that as an excuse for leaving that night. If Harry was telling the truth about Kingsley asking after her—and he had no reason to lie—then Kingsley was sure to be keeping a closer eye on her. "What do you need me to bring back?" Hermione asked.</p><p>"I want the name of every Death Eater killed," he said immediately and Hermione could tell he was itching for the knowledge. "Any suspects they have or information on the attack, I—the Order will want it all."</p><p>Hermione nodded, waiting for him to demand more but he didn't.</p><p>"Is that all?" she asked.</p><p>"Yes," Kingsley replied. He didn't dismiss her and Hermione was a little hesitant to leave too quickly. After staring at her for several seconds, he said, "You may leave now."</p><p>Hermione turned on her heel and walked out of the tent without a word. She pulled her notebook from her robes as she walked across camp to find dinner and was unsurprised to see Malfoy had written a note requesting they meet once again. Wondering if it would be for information or another attack, Hermione took a second to summon her quill and write back. She hadn't even closed the notebook when Malfoy wrote back.</p><p><em>Both</em>.</p><p>She stuffed the notebook back in her robes and continued to dinner. Instead of staying to eat, she took her food to go and went back to the tent, hoping they wouldn't need any bombs since she hadn't made more. She'd have to remember to tell Malfoy to inform her ahead of time when they met. She couldn't very well make them moments before they left; they took half a day to make when she had all the ingredients ready to brew.</p><p>Just as Hermione was getting ready to leave for Grimmauld Place, Ron and Harry came bustling into the tent. They were laughing about something, but as soon as they saw Hermione with her bag, they paused.</p><p>"Where are you going? It's late," Ron said. Harry skirted around him to rifle through his dresser but Ron didn't look like he would be moving.</p><p>"I have to run a message for Kingsley," Hermione answered, adjusting her bag on her shoulder and glancing at both of them. "I'll be back late, so don't wait up for me."</p><p>"Kingsley's sending you out?" Ron asked. Hermione gave him a look and he glanced at Harry.</p><p>"Let her go, Ron," Harry said, yawning as he spoke. He grabbed his pyjamas and looked at them both. "If Kingsley wanted us to know, he'd tell us and if Hermione were in danger, she'd let us know."</p><p>Hermione gave Harry a grateful smile, but he didn't react.</p><p>"I'll be perfectly safe," Hermione promised. She wrapped her cloak around her tighter and before apparating, she said, "I'll be back by morning."</p><p>She landed in Grimmauld Place hardly a second later and was thrilled to discover she'd beat Malfoy for once. Her moment alone was short lived though as a crack sounded behind her and Malfoy stepped into the house.</p><p>Before he had even said hello, he held out a rolled piece of parchment for her to take and said, "Information on a scheduled attack in Wales. The Dark Lord wants anti-apparation wards set up all along the southern England coast this week as well starting in Plymouth."</p><p>While the Order did not run rescue missions or escape missions in the area, there were several safehouses on the southern coast that acted as a first means of contact for those looking for safety. It would be good to evacuate all locations until they got word the Death Eaters were done setting up wards, so Hermione made a mental note to mention it to Kingsley first thing in the morning.</p><p>"Kingsley wants all the information you have on our attack last night," Hermione told him, stuffing the parchment scroll into her bag. "Names and death count as well as any suspects."</p><p>"Does he suspect us already?" Malfoy asked.</p><p>"No, but he does hate not knowing," Hermione answered. Malfoy nodded and promised he'd give her the information in the morning through the notebook. "Speaking of that, it takes several hours to build the bombs and I don't have any, so if we're going to need some, you'll have to let me know ahead of time."</p><p>Malfoy nodded, but apparently this attack wouldn't need them. Remembering how the last time had gone, Hermione made him explain what they were heading into before agreeing to apparate.</p><p>"Rookwood, Mulciber, and Amycus Carrow are meeting tonight to discuss something I've only heard rumours about," Malfoy explained. "The meeting isn't approved by the Dark Lord but neither is it expressly forbidden."</p><p>"So we're going to eavesdrop like we're first years at Hogwarts?" Hermione asked. Malfoy glared at her.</p><p>"If you don't want the information, you're free to return to the Order," he snapped. Hermione scowled in return but didn't say anything. Taking it as a win, Malfoy smirked and said, "Good. This isn't an attack, more like a means to gather forbidden information."</p><p>"Information <em>is</em> the most expensive thing in a war," Hermione said. Malfoy nodded and held out his arm to her. As she had the night before, she stepped forward and grabbed hold of him. The second her grip was secure, they were whisked off to their destination.</p><p>Rather than drop into a room, they appeared in a forest. Hermione released Malfoy's arm and looked around, unable to make out anything in particular with the trees hiding the moon.</p><p>"Where is it?" she asked, glancing back at Malfoy who was also looking around the forest.</p><p>"I only know it's in the forest," he said, glancing at her in reply. "I don't have the exact coordinates."</p><p>Hermione grumbled to herself and started walking through the forest. She didn't light her wand in case it drew unwanted attention, but her eyes slowly began to adjust to the darkness. Behind her, she could barely hear Malfoy's light footsteps as they both walked through the forest as silently as they could. Part of her wanted to cast a detection spell and make the trip easier, but the other part of her worried it would be detected by one of the Death Eaters before they ever found them.</p><p>They walked through the woods in silence, stumbling over low branches or coming very close to falling at the slightest slope of the ground. After almost an hour of walking, Hermione stopped abruptly. Malfoy hit her back and hissed, but they didn't breathe a word. There were voices echoing from somewhere nearby and while Hermione couldn't quite make out what they were saying yet, she knew where they were coming from. As quiet as she could, she crept to her right, straining to make out what was being said.</p><p>"—told not—attention of Order—"</p><p>The words were difficult to make out and Hermione knew she was missing parts of information, but she could make out four dark figures ahead and didn't dare creep closer. She cast a nonverbal spell to enhance her hearing and suddenly she was able to make out what they were saying.</p><p>"—Revels are enough for now, but soon they won't be," Amycus Carrow said. Someone grunted in agreement. "Mulciber's slave trade could give a new life to them."</p><p>"The Order would notice," Rookwood objected, but he didn't seem against the idea. "They won't ignore a slave trade going on under their noses."</p><p>"The Order has been falling for weeks now," Mulciber cut in sharply. "They got lucky at Dortmouth and Bristol; we shouldn't be worrying about them much longer."</p><p>There was a stretch of silence and Hermione found herself leaning forward in an attempt to hear more. A slave trade was an interesting idea, but she couldn't think of why Voldemort wouldn't approve such a meeting. And what were these revels they had mentioned earlier?</p><p>"I think—"</p><p>Something moved sharply between the figures and Rookwood stopped speaking.</p><p>"Someone's here," Amycus Carrow whispered.</p><p>Hermione cursed silently and turned to look at Malfoy and warn him they'd been discovered. She never got the chance too, though, because before she opened her mouth, Malfoy was shoving her to the ground as a jet of blue light soared toward them. They hit the ground with a loud crash and Hermione knew they'd be found now. Quickly, Hermione grabbed hold of Malfoy's arm tightly and apparated them both back to Grimmauld Place, hoping no one had been able to recognise them.</p><p>They stumbled as they landed back in Grimmauld Place and Hermione reached for the wall to stablise herself. As soon as she felt like she could breathe again, she let go of the wall and looked up at Malfoy.</p><p>"What are revels?" she asked, finding that was the thing that stuck out the most to her. Slave trade was easy enough to understand despite how horrid it sounded, but revels were unfamiliar to her.</p><p>Malfoy grimaced at the mention of them and Hermione frowned.</p><p>"Every weekend, a different Death Eater throws one," Malfoy told her. His face was blank as he said, "It's an excuse for everyone to get drunk and do terrible things. Some wizards bring in muggles for entertainment while others are content to drink themselves into a stupor."</p><p>"And the slave trade they were talking about? What do you know of it?" she asked.</p><p>"Not much more than you," Malfoy answered unhelpfully. "It was Mulciber's idea and he's been rallying for others to agree. From the sound of it, he's got Carrow and Rookwood in so it's just a matter of time."</p><p>"What is it?" Hermione demanded. While it seemed straightforward, she never could be sure with the Death Eaters. If this was going to catch the Order's attention like Rookwood had said, she wanted to be able to recognise it as a potential trap immediately.</p><p>"A gathering of all muggleborns, blood traitors, and unfortunate muggles," Draco said. Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, only vaguely registering that he'd said muggleborns and not Mudbloods. "They'd be sold to the highest bidder to be, well, a slave. The topic has come up at revels before, but if they're meeting about it now, they're likely looking to put it into effect sometime soon."</p><p>"If it's a secret meeting in the woods, it can't be too certain, can it?" Hermione asked. Death Eaters owning muggleborns, blood traitors, and muggles was not something she could even pretend was okay.</p><p>"On the contrary," Malfoy replied. "Amycus Carrow seems pretty invested in it so it has to be within reach. The git loses interest in things too fast for Mulciber to have consulted him otherwise."</p><p>"Great," Hermione grumbled. She'd have to keep an ear out for news about missing muggleborns or an increase in Death Eater gatherings.</p><p>There was an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds before Malfoy spoke up and said, "I should go. I'll send you the rest of the information on the Bristol attack in the morning."</p><p>Hermione just nodded once, watching him apparate first before returning to the Order herself.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Chapter 14</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Things continued on uncomfortably normal despite knowing the Death Eaters were looking to start a slave trade with muggleborns, blood traitors, and muggles. Hermione kept an ear out for any news that could point to it beginning, but nothing seemed to pass through the camp.</p><p>As it was, the camp was fairly empty for the rest of the week as Kingsley had sent a team out to help move everyone out of their safehouses on the southern coast. Kingsley hadn't acted like the information Malfoy had provided was important when she delivered it, but a team had been dispatched that afternoon so she knew he at least wanted it checked out. He wasn't happy with the information Hermione had regarding their attack at Bristol, but that was mostly due to the fact the Death Eaters seemed to have no more information on suspects than the Order did. He'd grumbled about it for several seconds before dismissing her to return to the medical wing.</p><p>Almost twice a week, Hermione would meet with Malfoy at Grimmauld Place. They didn't always leave and sometimes all Malfoy had was a passing bit of information to hand over, but Hermione still insisted they meet in case something changed. When Malfoy asked her to meet him at Grimmauld Place late on a Wednesday evening, Hermione knew something had changed.</p><p>She arrived at the same time he did despite having spent a few extra minutes convincing Harry she was just going to pull a night shift at the medical wing. Malfoy stumbled into a wall as he landed, earning a raised eyebrow from Hermione who hardly wobbled. When he stepped forward, she noticed a slight limp but didn't say anything.</p><p>"Mulciber started it," he told her. Hermione wrinkled her forehead in confusion for a second before realising what he was talking about. "Tonight at the revel. There were only half a dozen, but Granger, it's not good."</p><p>"No slave trade is 'good', Malfoy," Hermione reminded him. Malfoy scowled, but winced shortly after which ruined the effect. "What? Did you get cursed hurrying here to tell me?"</p><p>"None of your business. I'm here, aren't I?" Malfoy bit back. Hermione narrowed her eyes but didn't push him further.</p><p>"Back to Mulciber," Hermione told him and Malfoy rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Tonight's sale is long finished, but there's another in two days," he said. Friday night, Hermione realised. "Mulciber struck a deal with Yaxley to use one of his properties in the north, so that's where the next one will be. We'll have to leave here no later than eight so do make sure you don't get held up. You'll probably want to build those bombs again as well."</p><p>Hermione blinked at him, not having expected such a plan. Malfoy seemed to take her silence for agreement, though, which she supposed was better than assuming the opposite.</p><p>"Have you mentioned this to Shacklebolt?" he asked. Hermione shook her head, but Malfoy seemed happy with the answer. "Best not to, I suppose. He'd send an army in when what he needs is something much quieter."</p><p>"I'll need information to give Kingsley on Friday night if you don't want him to get suspicious," Hermione told him. Leaving that early in the night left too much time for Kingsley to call on her and she didn't want to risk him asking Harry and Ron while she was gone. The less people who noticed her missing at dinner, the better.</p><p>"Antonin Dolohov is developing a new potion for—"</p><p>"Tell me later," Hermione interrupted. She was almost certain to forget between now and the time she told Kingsley. It would be better to wait. "You're certain your disappearance from the revel tonight won't be noticed?"</p><p>"I never stay long anyway," Malfoy assured her. He raised a hand as if to wave the worry away and Hermione saw a flicker of a grimace cross his face. His other hand moved to his side but he gave her a sharp look to keep her from asking. Hermione scowled.</p><p>"I am a healer, Malfoy," she informed him. Had she mentioned that to him before? She wasn't sure. "If you're hurt, the least I can do is tell you if you're dying."</p><p>"I'm not dying," Malfoy said, making Hermione roll her eyes. "If you must know, my father was in a rather foul mood this evening and I was on the end of a nasty slicing curse."</p><p>Hermione frowned. As far as she could tell, he wasn't bleeding anywhere so he must have healed it at least a slight bit. The way he was clearly still in pain, however, was not a good sign.</p><p>"How did you heal it?" she asked.</p><p>"It's taken care of," he said, making it clear he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Although Hermione was still curious—not worried, she told herself—she dropped the subject.</p><p>"Is that all?" she asked. Malfoy nodded. "Write if anything else comes up, but I'll take tomorrow to build more bombs. How many do you think we'll need?"</p><p>"Enough to level a building the same size as the Manor," Malfoy told her. Hermione briefly recalled the one time she'd seen Malfoy Manor and mentally calculated how she'd need to place the bombs to efficiently destroy a building of that size.</p><p>"Alright," she said, settling on the number in her head. She made eye contact with Malfoy and said, "See you in two days."</p><p>He nodded in reply and they both apparated away. Hermione made sure to land just outside her tent instead of traipsing all through the camp. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all still awake when she arrived and looked at her in surprise.</p><p>"They didn't need me," she said, keeping up the facade of having gone to the medical wing. She'd thought she'd be gone longer, but it hadn't even been thirty minutes since she disappeared. No one voiced the suspicion she could clearly see on their faces, however, so she joined them on the floor and asked after all their days, pushing the thoughts of Mulciber's slave trade to the back of her mind.</p><hr/><p>Hermione spent Thursday afternoon building three new bombs for the following evening. She waited until Friday around lunch before informing Kingsley she would be meeting that evening with their contact if there was any specific information he needed. As expected, he only wanted information on the attack on Bristol from several days ago as well as any information on the wards the Death Eaters had set up along the southern coast. Once she was dismissed, Hermione returned to the medical tent in an attempt to distract herself until it was time to leave for Grimmauld Place.</p><p>When she apparated to Grimmauld Place, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were still at dinner so she didn't try to explain where she was going. Instead, she grabbed her bag and arrived in the hallway of Grimmauld Place minutes before Malfoy appeared. He grimaced as he landed and Hermione narrowed her eyes.</p><p>"Don't," he snapped before she could say anything. "How many bombs do you have?"</p><p>"Three," Hermione answered. As long as wherever they were going wasn't protected with ancient ley lines, they should be just as successful as they had been in Bristol. Yet there was one thing Hermione still worried about. "What are you planning on doing about the slaves? We can't let them die there too."</p><p>"I wasn't planning on it," Malfoy answered. Just like he had at Bristol, he waved his wand to create a replica of where they were going. Using his wand to point to each room, he said, "I'm fairly certain the slaves will be held here until the sale. They were held in the dungeons at Yaxley's Manor as well, so it seems like the most reasonable assumption. Here is where the sales will actually take place." Hermione followed his wand and mentally memorised the map in front of her as he spoke. "I can't be seen helping you, so I'll set the bombs while you get those in the dungeons out. I imagine you have a place you can take them?"</p><p>"Yes, there's an Order safehouse that will take them in," Hermione confirmed. Depending on the number of slaves, she'd take them to two separate locations so as not to overwhelm a single safehouse. However, if there were just a few like Malfoy mentioned before, that would not be necessary.</p><p>"Perfect," Malfoy said. He held out his hand and said, "I'll take the bombs; you show me where to place them."</p><p>Hermione handed over her satchel, briefly explaining that it had been magically enlarged, but as long as he focused on finding the bombs, they should come straight to him. Malfoy slipped the bag over his head, casting a concealment charm over it and hiding it under his cloak. With a notice-me-not charm on the small lump under his cloak, it was impossible to tell he was carrying a bottomless bag with him.</p><p>"Since there are only three," she explained, lighting her wand to point on the map, "You'll need to place one here, one here, and the last here. We should set a time to detonate them so we're both sure to be out. Once you've set them, how long will I have to get the slaves out?"</p><p>"Half an hour," Malfoy told her. Hermione frowned and opened her mouth to say that wasn't enough time, but Malfoy shook his head. "There's sure to be someone down there anyway, but Mulciber will only leave the dungeons for half an hour to eat and make a speech before the sale begins. I'll be expected to make appearances long before then, so you'll have to apparate with me and then stay hidden. I'll write in the notebook when it's safe."</p><p>"How long will I have to wait?" Hermione asked, already restless at the thought. Sitting in a Death Eater manor was not how she wanted to spend her evening.</p><p>"Two hours at least," Malfoy answered. Hermione opened her mouth in protest and scowled at him.</p><p>"We're blowing the place up," she reminded him. "Surely you can "make appearances" for a shorter amount of time."</p><p>"If you want to risk my cover, be my guest," Malfoy hissed, scowling back at her just as fiercely. "However, I don't fancy being the Dark Lord's next plaything so I'll be working to keep appearances up just in case."</p><p>Hermione glared at him and crossed her arms but didn't argue further. However annoying he was, he was right and the Order did still need him. If Kingsley found out Hermione had lost their one contact with the other side, he'd have her head.</p><p>"Fine," she hissed, tapping her wand impatiently against her arm. "Where am I supposed to wait?"</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Chapter 15</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco had snickered to himself when he left Granger in the room furthest from where the revel would be taking place. It was convenient enough and right over the dungeons, so after making sure she knew how to activate the trap door and find the dungeons on her own, he left. Even though the room was well out of the way, he'd made sure to lock her inside and place multiple deterrence spells on the room so no one would accidentally stumble upon her. While it was extremely unlikely anyone would be venturing to the side of the manor Granger was waiting in, he would rather be safe than sorry. Any suspicion was unwanted, even if it wasn't directed toward him.</p><p>Once he was sure she was well hidden, he apparated to the front door alone and walked right into the open arms of Corban Yaxley.</p><p>"Draco Malfoy!" Yaxley exclaimed with a smile as Draco stepped through the front door. His wife was nowhere in sight as was common at revels, but Yaxley was not letting that keep him from properly greeting each of his guests.</p><p>"Yaxley," Draco said cordially. He nodded his head at him and shook Yaxley's hand. Yaxley's other hand came around to clap Draco on the back as he grinned.</p><p>"Come to enjoy another trade?" he asked. His eyes flickered over Draco's shoulder and he nodded at someone Draco couldn't see, but his attention quickly returned. "Perhaps find a slave for yourself? Even Mudbloods can be efficient where house elves can't, if you know what I mean."</p><p>Yaxley gave Draco a suggestive look, but Draco didn't need it to know what he'd meant.</p><p>"Ah, not tonight," Draco replied, smiling nonetheless. If he was about to blow up Yaxley's manor, he could at least act friendly. "Maybe another."</p><p>"Oh, but my boy, you haven't seen tonight's selection," Yaxley said, leaning in conspiratorially. Draco leaned in as well and raised an eyebrow as Yaxley whispered, "Mulciber has quite the haul this time. One might say some of them are worth a bit of a fight."</p><p>Draco hummed and leaned back, releasing Yaxley's hand as he did.</p><p>"I guess I'll keep an open mind," he replied. He took advantage of Dolohov's arrival to slip away from Yaxley and find a glass of firewhiskey.</p><p>Stepping into the main drawing room, Draco scanned the current crowd. There were more people than usual, likely due to the popularity of Mulciber's slave trade from several days ago, but none of those in attendance surprised Draco. It wasn't even just the younger Death Eaters either; many were closer to his father's age and Draco couldn't help the way his lips twitched at the thought of his father joining one of these. He attended the revels just to spite the man and see the way his lips pursed at every mention of them. While Lucius Malfoy was a Death Eater loyal to the bone, Draco was not surprised at his refusal to even consider attending something as feral as a revel.</p><p>"Draco!"</p><p>A voice to his left caught his attention and Draco swiveled around to meet it. Theo Nott grinned as he walked toward Draco, a full glass of firewhiskey in one hand and his other outstretched. At the sight of his friend standing in a building that would become a graveyard in less than three hours, Draco immediately remembered the bombs he had on him. The others Draco didn't particularly care for, but would Theo be among those who he killed tonight? He dearly hoped not. Maybe he could convince the git to leave prematurely.</p><p>"Theo," he said plainly. Theo's smile dropped and he gave him a look before Draco rolled his eyes and shook his hand. "You never come to these. Why the sudden change?" <em>Why tonight</em>, he wanted to add, but didn't.</p><p>"My father says Ol' Mulcy has a surprise I shouldn't miss," Theo replied with a shrug. He took a sip of his firewhiskey and glanced around the room before returning his gaze to Draco. "However, if it's just the usual revel surprise, I'd rather skip, if you know what I mean."</p><p>Draco hid his grimace and nodded. Unlike Draco, Theo didn't need to keep up appearances and attend the revels regularly. While Draco prefered his position higher up in the Dark Lord's ranks and the benefits he got from it, sometimes he envied Theo's ability to choose whether or not to attend an event supposedly thrown in the Dark Lord's favour.</p><p>"Are you staying long?" Draco asked. Theo shrugged again.</p><p>"Got something better for me than a good old fashioned revel?" Theo asked. Draco snorted into his firewhiskey glass and Theo grinned.</p><p>"Blaise is at home with what he declares is the worst migraine of the century, but I've never known migraines to be caused by overindulging in alcohol," Draco mused. Beside him, Theo looked thrilled at the idea and Draco was glad. An easy way to remove his friend from the dangers Yaxley Manor would soon present and a believable excuse.</p><p>"Migraines sure are a strange phenomenon," Theo replied. Draco nodded in agreement and accidentally made eye contact with Antonin Dolohov across the way. Knowing he could not escape an inevitable conversation, he excused himself from Theo's company but promised they would leave just after dinner if Mulciber's surprise didn't hold Theo's interest.</p><p>As Draco made his way across the room, he grabbed a small plate of appetizers and charmed his firewhiskey glass to float beside him so he could eat. Dolohov met him half way and shook his hand firmly before Draco could fully decide if he even wanted to talk to the man.</p><p>"Good to see you, Draco," Dolohov said coolly. His dark hair was slicked back like it usually was at revels, but it seemed like he'd taken just a bit more care to style it than other times.</p><p>"I hear you're busy these days," Draco said. Dolohov, while unpredictable sometimes, could always be counted on to boast about his work. Ever since Severus had been executed for his betrayal of the Dark Lord, Dolohov had gotten increasingly worse.</p><p>"Ah, yes," Dolohov said, grinning maliciously at the thought of his work. "I've been working on a rather nasty curse recently. It's been tested on Mudbloods and muggles alike and is not quite ready for use, but when it is, the Order won't know what hit them."</p><p>"What kind of curse? Tell me, does it have roots in alchemy like the acid curse you recently developed?"</p><p>Dolohov gave Draco a look he was not entirely comfortable with and hummed, bringing his firewhiskey up to his lips.</p><p>"Why the sudden interest? One might think you're following in your dear godfather's footsteps," Dolohov warned. Draco's eyes narrowed slightly but Dolohov was not dissuaded.</p><p>"I've always had a personal interest in alchemy and potions," Draco informed him. A short conversation with his father would give Dolohov all the proof he could want so Draco didn't care if he asked. "I'm simply curious. You've known me my whole life, Antonin. You can't possibly think I'd follow the footsteps of a blood traitor and sympathise with Mudbloods?"</p><p>Dolohov didn't look fully convinced. His eyebrows raised suspiciously even as Draco calmly took a bite off his appetizer plate and stared directly at him.</p><p>"One can never be too careful," Dolohov said lightly, and although the words were said carelessly, Draco knew Dolohov had not appreciated his questions.</p><p>After leaving Dolohov, Draco continued to mingle with the other guests and wait impatiently for the moment he saw Mulciber appear. Any time he was able to slip away from the main room, he sent one of Hermione's bombs flying through the manor with several notice-me-not charms and disillusionment spells. By the time Theo found him for dinner, he'd managed to place all three though the last one had almost been seen by one of the wandering rookies.</p><p>"Have a seat, mate," Theo said as they found a table in the center of the room. "It's about time we find out what this surprise is everyone's talking about."</p><p>As Draco saw Mulciber step to the front of the room, he pulled out his notebook and scribbled a spell checkmark in the top right corner like he'd told Granger to look for. He looked up to see Theo watching him curiously.</p><p>"A note to my mother," Draco lied easily, waving the notebook once before stuffing it in his robes. "A form of messaging system we developed so she doesn't worry when I'm gone."</p><p>"You're writing your mother at a revel?" Vincent Crabbe snickered beside him. Draco ignored him and flicked his wrist to break the leg of the chair he was sitting in. Crabbe toppled to the ground, causing a bit of a scene and glaring at Draco.</p><p>"She worries," Draco said absentmindedly. He turned his attention to the front of the room as Mulciber called for everyone's attention and pushed thoughts of Granger far from his mind. He'd give her ten minutes to clear the building after Mulciber realised the slaves were missing. After that, he'd leave with Theo and trigger the bombs.</p><p>"Last week was very successful, friends," Mulciber grinned, amplifying his voice with a <em>sonorus</em> charm. Several people around them cheered and Draco shared a glance with a confused Theo. "I know the Mudbloods provided some rather, shall I say, special fun to those who invested and I'm pleased to announce there are even more to go around this time."</p><p>"What the fuck is he talking about?" Theo muttered. Draco pursed his lips and looked back at Mulciber while Theo's eyebrows drew together in confusion.</p><p>"With the assistance of Greyback's Snatchers and my own trained men, tonight you will have a broader selection of much finer specimens," Mulciber said proudly. Draco tensed, wondering if he'd underestimated the number and accidentally left Granger with too many to rescue. "A total of thirteen specimen will make their way across the floor tonight and any one of them is available to the highest bidder."</p><p>"What the fuck?" Theo whispered, drawing Draco's attention once again. When Draco's eyes locked on his, Theo asked, "Is this his slave trade? The mad git actually made it happen?"</p><p>Draco nodded solemnly as the others at their table cheered loudly. Whatever Mulciber had said, Draco assumed it was rather crude given the way Crabbe's face gleamed and he snickered with another boy beside him.</p><p>"I see many new faces, so I'll go over the rules one more time," he said. He paused for several seconds as the room quieted down and Draco and Theo shared another glance. "Highest bid wins and you have to pay upfront. No payment, no slaves," he sneered. The room snickered at the memory of what had happened the first time, but Draco just looked around the room blandly, searching for a clock.</p><p>With a start, Draco realised Mulciber had only been talking for ten minutes yet he seemed ready to bring the slaves out. There was no way Granger had left by now.</p><p>"You good, mate?" Theo asked, drawing Draco's attention away from the clock. "You jumped."</p><p>"Fine," Draco said, looking back toward Mulciber. The git was already looking around the room greedily and Draco knew there was no way he'd keep talking for twenty more minutes. There was, unfortunately, no way to warn Granger as he knew she wouldn't check the notebook in the middle of a rescue.</p><p>"I won't bore you with any more words," Mulciber said, quieting the room again. "The specimens are ready for sale so get your wands ready, gentlemen."</p><p>Mulciber turned to the back door of the room and waved his wand to open it. Draco would have held his breath if he wasn't worried someone would see it, so he forced himself to breathe normally as they waited for the first slaves to step up front. To everyone's surprise—including Draco's—nothing happened. There were several seconds of silence before Mulciber walked to the door himself. He hadn't quite made it there before a younger wizard came running out, his shoulder bleeding what looked like tar.</p><p>"The Order—" he gasped, stumbling forward. Mulciber let him fall to the ground and stormed through the door. Draco jumped to his feet, as did several others in the room, and waited anxiously to see if Mulciber would return with Granger.</p><p>It was less than a minute before Mulciber returned with Amycus Carrow and an angry sneer on his face.</p><p>"The Order's been here," he yelled. Before Draco could realise what was happening, Mulciber raised his wand and sounded an alarm. "They've taken our slaves! They bombed Bristol!"</p><p>"Run," Theo said, tugging on Draco's robe. "Run! Run!"</p><p>Draco grabbed Theo sharply to keep him from running. If they were seen escaping, it could be suspicious even though Mulciber had clearly said it was the Order that had interrupted their revel.</p><p>"If they've rigged the place to blow, we should apparate," Draco told him. Crabbe shoved behind him and Draco scowled, but didn't give him a second thought. "You don't want to trigger anything."</p><p>"Right," Theo muttered. He apparated before Draco, saying something about seeing him at Blaise's then disappeared. Draco followed suit, apparating to just outside the property line and triggering the bombs before following Theo to Blaise's house.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Chapter 16</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione had waited for hours before she finally saw the small check mark appear in her notebook. Even though she knew she had thirty minutes, she wasted no time in opening the trap door and dropping down to the dungeons. Just like Malfoy had warned her, there was someone standing right where she was let out. She didn't have to think before silencing him and slicing his neck. She levitated him back into the trap door she'd come from and closed it to hide his body.</p><p>Although she knew most manor dungeons followed a similar floor plan, she hadn't really expected to walk around the corner and come face to face with where the slaves were being held. Luckily, her momentary shock didn't keep her from killing two of the other wizards before they'd even realised she was there. The last two yelled loudly and Hermione threw up a shield just in time to avoid two killing curses. She twisted sharply to avoid a third that shattered her shield and cast an angry <em>avada</em> at the leg of one of her attackers. He fell with an echoing <em>thunk</em> and Hermione took advantage of the other's shock to slice his neck.</p><p>"Are there any others?" she demanded, turning to face those locked behind the dungeon bars. More than a dozen scared faces stared back at her. "Are there any more?" she demanded again. They shook their heads quickly and Hermione gestured for them to move back. "I'm blowing off the lock, stand back," she instructed.</p><p>The group scrambled to the far corner and after Hermione cast a strong silencing spell in the room, she aimed her wand at the cell doors and cursed it.</p><p>Just like she'd expected, the cell bars dissolved immediately, breaking through the ancient magic since she'd made sure to account for it beforehand. As the group of captives hesitantly climbed through the whole in the dungeon cell, Hermione scanned the hallway for anyone coming. Satisfied no one was on their way yet, she told the nearest four people to grab hold of her. Several frantic hands reached for her and Hermione apparated a second later.</p><p>"Two of you need to come with me to get the others," she said, handing a wand to a man who stepped forward. A woman stepped forward as well, albeit a bit timidly, and Hermione handed her another wand before saying to the others, "You two, don't move."</p><p>She apparated back to the dungeons with the two she'd brought out before and told the remaining nine captives to grab onto one of them. Two grabbed hold of the man, two more held onto the woman, and the other five held tight to her. She waited for the others to apparate first before making sure all those holding onto her were ready. A second before she waved her wand, a young wizard came running into the dungeons and stopped abruptly.</p><p>"<em>Protego</em>!" Hermione yelled, casting a shield as he tried to curse her. She sent a curse sailing at him and he stumbled back into the wall. Tar oozed from his shoulder but Hermione didn't wait around to see the curse finish him off.</p><p>Landing back in the forest with the remaining five captives, Hermione almost dropped to her knees. She'd apparated with four people one time before, but never multiple times. To add a fifth person into the mix had drained her energy much faster than she had expected.</p><p>As she stumbled forward, one of the girls she had rescued grabbed her shoulders and kept her upright. Hermione gave her a small smile and forced herself to stand up straight and not sway on her feet.</p><p>"Are you all okay?" she asked. Everyone nodded in reply, a welcome surprise. "We're near an Order safehouse where half of you will remain. The other six will come with me to another safehouse."</p><p>"Can I stay with my sister?" a young girl asked, clinging to a slightly older girl. Hermione nodded and the two girls smiled.</p><p>"Of course," she promised. "The Order will take good care of both of you."</p><p>She led the short way to the Order's safe house and sent a group of seven to the front door. Not wanting to show her face, she instructed them on how to get past the wards and what to tell the person who answered. It was important none of them told anyone who had rescued them and that they were to say they had escaped together. While it was obvious some of them were confused, no one asked why.</p><p>Unfortunately, when Hermione turned to apparate the remaining six to the next safehouse, she swayed slightly and knew she wouldn't be able to take more than one person at a time.</p><p>"I'll take one at a time," she explained, holding out her arm to the person nearest her. "It will only be a second."</p><p>She apparated the first person to just outside the safehouse wards and immediately apparated back for a second person. When she returned for the third person, she swayed on her feet and a young man darted forward to keep her from falling. She thanked him softly and waited a few minutes before apparating with the third person. The fourth time she apparated, she brought back one of the girls she'd already taken to the second safehouse and allowed her to help apparate the remaining people.</p><p>"It's just like the first safehouse," she informed them, telling them to walk straight ahead through the wards and knock on the door that appeared. "Don't tell them I brought you. When they ask where you've come from, it's a code. Reply exactly with 'We've wandered from far east through fire'. Anything else and you'll be turned away."</p><p>"Thank you," a boy whispered. Hermione glanced at him. "I know we can't tell them it was you, but I think they should know because you're our hero."</p><p>"If you tell them, I won't be allowed to help others," Hermione said. If Kingsley heard she'd been responsible for liberating several people who were claiming to have been captured and almost sold as slaves to the Death Eaters, he'd know she was talking with Malfoy on her own time.</p><p>"I won't say anything," the boy promised. Hermione smiled at him and watched them turn to walk to the safe house.</p><p>She waited until they were long gone before apparating to Grimmauld Place. What she hadn't expected, however, was for her vision to swim as she landed. She reached desperately for a nearby wall only to find nothing. She hit the ground before she could try casting a patronus and all her thoughts left her at once.</p><hr/><p>Hermione woke abruptly, inhaling sharply and sitting upright in one fluid motion. Her head pounded at the sudden action and she groaned, bringing one hand up to cup her forehead as she tried to remember what happened. She could recognise Grimmauld Place around her, but for the life of her, she could not remember how she'd gotten there. She didn't even remember what she'd been thinking before she woke up until Malfoy's white face came into view in front of her.</p><p>"What in Merlin's name happened?" he asked, squatting in front of her. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, not remembering having a meeting with him that night. Wait, was it night? "I wrote you a note to ask if everything went smoothly only for you to ignore it, then when I write to meet you here, I find you passed the fuck out."</p><p>"What?" Hermione grumbled. Malfoy exhaled irritatedly and Hermione scowled at him. "I don't even remember how I got here. The least you can do is explain further."</p><p>Malfoy frowned at her and sat back on his heels. His arms locked around his knees and he stared at her with what Hermione thought looked a tad like worry.</p><p>"We went to one of Yaxley's properties last night," he said. Hermione nodded slowly, trying to recall the event. "You freed the slaves while I set the bombs, but Mulciber didn't talk for half an hour like I expected. You seemed to have gotten all the slaves out, though, because the whole place went into chaos when the news broke that the Order had been there."</p><p>Hermione vaguely remembered the manor and talking to Malfoy about their plan, but the fine details still escaped her. As she opened her mouth to ask what had happened next, the memory seemed to slide back into place and she remembered everything down to collapsing in the entryway of Grimmauld Place. Merlin, had she really been there all night?</p><p>"What time is it?" she asked suddenly, wishing not for the first time that Grimmauld Place had a functioning clock.</p><p>"Almost five in the morning," Malfoy answered smoothly. Her eyes widened as she realised she had, in fact, been there all night. While Kingsley may not notice, Harry, Ron, and Ginny were sure to.</p><p>"Fuck," she grumbled. She climbed to her feet, Malfoy mirroring her movements, and summoned her wand from where it had rolled away when she'd collapsed. "Yeah, everyone is fine. I must have drained myself too much apparating them all."</p><p>"You appara—Fuck, Granger. Thirteen?!" Malfoy exclaimed, running a hand through his hair and looking at her with wide eyes. "You fucking apparated—You cast two killing curses then thought it would be fine to apparate thirteen people?"</p><p>"Not all at once," Hermione grumbled, crossing her arms and looking down at her toes as if Malfoy's scolding of her actually mattered. "It was only five at a time and I only did it twice I think."</p><p>"You think," Malfoy repeated. He took a deep breath, staring up at the ceiling before looking back at her. "You're an idiot."</p><p>"Hey!" Hermione yelled, uncrossing her arms and glaring at him.</p><p>"You are!" Malfoy argued, stepping toward her. "You're lucky you didn't splinch apparating that many people at once after performing such powerful dark magic. How many times did you apparate last night? Three? Four?"</p><p>Hermione just glared at him. She couldn't very well say six without Malfoy scolding her further. Even if the last four times had been one person at a time, she'd clearly overextended her magic. She'd been unconscious for hours!</p><p>"I don't have to listen to this," she said instead. Malfoy scowled at her and grabbed her arm to stop her from stepping around him. "If you'll kindly give me my bag back, I'll return to the Order and contact you later."</p><p>"Granger, your magical core took a brutal hit last night," Malfoy reminded her. Surprisingly, he seemed to have lost the bite in his tone this time. "Return to the Order, but try not to do magic for at least a day. I'd rather not find out from Weasel or someone else as obnoxious that my contact with the Order is dead."</p><p>Hermione nodded sharply in agreement. She really didn't have the energy to do anything else, so the least she could do was appease some of Malfoy's apparent worries.</p><p>"Fine," she replied. Malfoy, seemingly pleased with her reply, removed the spells he'd place on her bag and handed it over. Hermione looped her bag over her head and adjusted her robes as she asked, "What's that information on Dolohov you have for Kingsley?"</p><p>"He's been working on a potion for the slaves Mulciber is bringing in," Draco replied. Hermione paused and looked at him. "He's been using muggleborns and blood traitors as test subjects and while I can't say for certain what it is, I know it has to do with the slave trade. He's also working on a new curse I believe has roots in alchemy, not potions."</p><p>"That's—" Hermione wasn't quite sure what the right word was, but the one she ended up saying was, "—bad."</p><p>Malfoy nodded.</p><p>"I tried to ask more, but he closed off quickly," he explained. He couldn't ask more questions without raising more suspicion. "As soon as I have more information, though, I will tell you."</p><p>"Keep an eye on that potion for the captives too," Hermione said. If they were to keep helping those Mulciber took captive for the trade, they would need to know everything possible about the testing being done on them and any potions Dolohov was developing.</p><p>"Easy to say, harder to do," Malfoy replied, reminding Hermione of the muggle expression so much she almost corrected him.</p><p>"I'll see you later?" she asked instead, pulling out her wand and preparing to apparate. For some reason, she felt like she needed the confirmation from Malfoy after how upset he'd seemed about how their most recent mission had ended.</p><p>"Soon, Granger," Malfoy promised, stepping back to give her more room to apparate. "Get some sleep before then though, yeah?"</p><p>Hermione just rolled her eyes but gave a short nod before apparating back to the Order.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Chapter 17</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione was surprised at how her routine meetings with Malfoy seemed to be easier after that. While he was not as friendly with her as Ron or Harry, he was certainly not as cold as when they used to meet. She recognised his sarcasm as more teasing than biting and she found herself subconsciously watching him for any signs of pain. He continued to refuse her help even when he arrived with a cut across his forehead, but Hermione took to dropping bits of healing advice into their conversations to combat his excessive need to be okay.</p><p>A week after they'd destroyed Yaxley's manor, however, Malfoy arrived with a visible limp and a tremor in his hands that Hermione could not ignore.</p><p>"What happened?" she demanded, staring at him as he held a parchment between them. The tremor hadn't been that noticeable at first, but when Hermione had reached for the parchment, it had shaken enough she knew something was wrong.</p><p>"I'm not—"</p><p>"It's <em>cruciatus</em> and I know it," she interrupted. She summoned a chair from the dining room and it came screeching into the room, stopping right at Malfoy's heels. "Sit down and tell me what happened or so help me, Draco Malfoy, I will apparate you to the Order myself."</p><p>Malfoy scowled at her and stuffed the parchment back in his robes as he sat in the chair. Hermione stepped forward and held out her hand for his, something he didn't seem to immediately pick up on. He stared at her for several seconds before Hermione gave up on waiting and snatched his hand out of his lap.</p><p>"Hey—"</p><p>"Talk," she demanded, looking at the hand she now held between both of hers.</p><p>She splayed his fingers out so his hand was flat and glared down at his hand as if it had personally offended her before slowly starting to massage it. Malfoy yanked his hand away from her and she scowled at him.</p><p>"Give me back your hand," she ordered, holding out one of her hands.</p><p>"I'll either tell you what happened or give you my hand," Malfoy argued, protectively tucking both of his hands in his robes. "You have to choose."</p><p>Hermione fumed, but she didn't need to think about which option she'd choose.</p><p>"Hand. Now," she said. Malfoy huffed and held out his hand, pointedly ignoring her gaze as he did so. "Thank you."</p><p>In the dead silence of the room, Hermione began massaging Malfoy's hand like she'd done for some of the patients in the hospital wing of the Order. It was a miracle she'd actually found the method buried in ancient medical books, but when she'd managed to uncover it, she'd spent a full ten hours moving between the beds of <em>cruciatus</em> patients and massaging their hands until hers were stiff and cramped.</p><p>"Why are you doing that?" Malfoy asked, his voice tight. Hermione glanced at him to see him staring at his own hand in hers.</p><p>"It helps," she said, not sure if he cared for the full explanation or not.</p><p>"Yeah, but how?" he asked. He glanced up for a second but the moment his eyes locked on hers, he looked back at his hand.</p><p>"Your hands have the most nerve endings in your body," Hermione answered, looking back down at Malfoy's hand and continuing to massage it. "The cruciatus curse targets your nerves when it's cast and has lasting effects as the curse works its way through your body. Massaging the hands of a <em>cruciatus</em> victim chases the lasting effects away faster and can prevent further damage."</p><p>"Can there be permanent side effects?" Malfoy asked quietly. Hermione's fingers paused at the question but she didn't look up at him.</p><p>"Yes," she said quietly, resuming the massage. "If a person receives the cruciatus curse multiple times, they could develop permanent tremors in their hands. The massage can help, but after so many times, the tremors are permanent."</p><p>The room went silent as Hermione finished massaging Malfoy's left hand then took his right hand. He didn't protest and Hermione continued to work silently until he spoke up again.</p><p>"How many times until it's irreversible?" he asked. Hermione shrugged. The book hadn't said.</p><p>"I guess you don't know until it's too late," she answered, applying a bit more pressure when she felt his fingers twitch. "There's no real pattern to it, but you do have to use magic."</p><p>She lifted one of her hands to show Malfoy the way her fingertips glowed slightly.</p><p>"How do you do that?" he asked.</p><p>"Wandless magic," she said with a small smirk. Malfoy rolled his eyes. "I just imagine my magic moving to my fingers and it does." She shrugged. "I don't know how else to describe it."</p><p>She finished with his second hand then took a step back to give him space. He flexed his hands out in front of him and Hermione was pleased to see they weren't shaking anymore. She'd spent a little extra time on each hand since she knew he was likely no stranger to the curse, but she didn't need to tell him that. Instead, she took the time to send the chair back to the dining room. When she looked back at Malfoy, he was pulling the parchment from his robes again and offering it to her.</p><p>"Information on Mulciber's slave trade movements," he explained shortly. Hermione nodded and tucked it into her robes securely. "There's another one scheduled a few days from now, but they've made some changes to the revels."</p><p>"Oh?" Hermione asked. She'd expected as much after Malfoy had told her what had happened the last time. Unfortunately, most everyone had apparated before the bombs had gone off due to the five minute delay between the time Malfoy triggered them and the time they went off. Only a few younger Death Eaters that hadn't gotten the message had been lost in the rubble.</p><p>"They've designated the Carrows' manor in Newcastle for when the trade takes place," Malfoy told her. "They spent the week casting wards all around the property to prevent apparation of anyone who doesn't bear the dark mark. Side along apparation is an option I believe, but there's no guarantee it won't register your magical core and alert everyone to your presence."</p><p>"Is there a way you could find out where they keep the captives before they're moved to Newcastle?" Hermione asked. Wards were tricky to get around and she'd rather not risk them, but if there was no other way, she'd do it. "Surely Mulciber has to keep them locked up somewhere."</p><p>Malfoy hummed, admitting it would be difficult but he could probably figure something out.</p><p>"If I'm the only one Mulciber tells, though, I'm not telling you," he warned. Hermione wanted to argue, but she knew it would be too risky. Mulciber would know he'd told someone if all the captives disappeared and there would be no doubt who the spy for the Order was.</p><p>"Fine," she agreed. "Anything you can find out about the wards around Newcastle too. Maybe I can find a way around them."</p><p>Malfoy chuckled to himself and nodded as he said, "If anyone could, it'd be you."</p><p>Hermione grinned and pulled out her wand to prepare to apparate. Malfoy stuffed his hands in the pockets of his robes and watched her fiddle with the parchment she'd stuffed in her own robes for a moment. When she was certain it was secure, she tossed her braid over her shoulder from where it had fallen in front of her and looked at Malfoy with a small grin.</p><p>"See you in a few days," she said. Malfoy nodded once before she apparated to just outside Kingsley's tent.</p><p>Stuffing her wand back in its holster, Hermione stepped into Kingsley's tent and looked around. It was completely empty, something she hadn't expected at all. She took another step into the tent, looking around the room more and even calling out Kingsley's name but there was no reply. Confused, she turned on her heel to leave only for Kingsley to come walking through the tent flap and almost run right into her.</p><p>"Miss Granger," he said, looking surprised to see her. "Finally come back to the Order, have you?"</p><p>"That does that mean?" Hermione asked. Kingsley moved forward toward his desk, pausing in front of Hermione but she did not move. Giving her a slightly irritated look, he very pointedly stepped around her to get to his desk.</p><p>"You've spent several evenings away from the camp," he said as if she wasn't aware of this herself. "Don't think I haven't noticed. Something tells me it's not just to get information from the Order's unknown spy."</p><p>"I bring back information every time," Hermione said. She pulled the parchment from her robes to emphasize her point and set it on his desk. "There's no other reason for me to leave the camp."</p><p>"You say that, but I have other safehouses that reported rescued—excuse me, escaped—slaves before you brought information regarding this slave trade Mulciber has set up," Kingsley said. He took the parchment she'd given him, but didn't take his eyes off of her as he spoke. "I want to trust you, Hermione, but you must admit things aren't looking too good."</p><p>"Whatever you're implying, you can say outright," Hermione told him sharply. She'd made certain there was no reason for him to be suspicious and unless one of the captives had said something about her in particular, Kingsley had nothing on her.</p><p>"I know you're intelligent, Miss Granger," Kingsley replied, sitting back in his seat. "It's why I chose you to be the contact."</p><p>"They chose me. You had no say."</p><p>Kingsley's eyes narrowed at the reminder but Hermione stood her ground.</p><p>"You don't like me because I used an Unforgivable in battle one time," Hermione hissed, leaning forward as she lowered her voice. "I have been nothing but loyal to the Order and would never use a member of the Order for my own agenda. If you can't seem to look past one choice I made that saved—"</p><p>"You used dark magic," Kingsley snarled, slamming his hands on his desk and jumping to his feet. Hermione leaned back slowly. "The Order is the one thing standing between the reign of the dark arts and freedom and I will not have my soldiers fighting dirty. Dark magic is a dangerous art and if you resort to it, you're no better than the Death Eaters who fight for Riddle."</p><p>Hermione glared at him but bit her tongue. She'd known he wasn't past her use of the killing curse months ago and riling him up would not help.</p><p>"I have not dirtied the Order's contact," Hermione told him tightly. "I have continued regular contact and reported all the information the day I get it. You may ask Madam Pomfrey or Harry himself, but you will find I've only ever been gone during the agreed upon times."</p><p>Kingsley glared at her darkly but Hermione glared back just as fiercely. The tent remained silent for several seconds and while it got tense, neither of them said a word. It wasn't until Harry came stumbling into the tent that Kingsley dropped his glare in favour of giving her one last look of warning and turning away.</p><p>"Hey, Kingsley, I—" Harry interrupted himself when he saw Hermione standing there and awkwardly pointed his thumb over his shoulder as he said, "I can come back later—"</p><p>"No need," Hermione interrupted, giving Harry a tight smile and glancing at Kingsley. "We were just finishing up."</p><p>"Oh, ok," Harry replied, clearly uncomfortable with the atmosphere he'd walked into. "Uh, Ginny's in the tent if you—if you want."</p><p>"Thank you, Harry," she said, walking past him and out of the tent without another word to Kingsley Shacklebolt.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Chapter 18</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione did not go to Grimmauld Place for four whole days after that. Malfoy had written in the notebook a couple of times, telling her he hadn't learned where the captives were being held. Even though he did have some news about the wards, they never met in person. Due to the lack of information on the Newcastle wards, they'd been unable to rescue the captives being held there, but Hermione doubted she could have left the camp without Kingsley interfering. While she didn't tell Malfoy precisely what had gone down the last time she'd spoken with Kingsley, she was fairly certain he knew something had changed. As long as it didn't directly affect him, however, he didn't appear to care. She was just returning from dinner when she got a note saying he needed her at Grimmauld Place that night.</p><p>"What's that?" Harry asked, peering over her shoulder. She slapped the notebook closed before he could read the writing and he looked at her curiously.</p><p>"My personal notebook," she said, tucking the book in her robes where Harry couldn't grab for it. "I'd rather you didn't try to read what I write."</p><p>"And I'd rather you didn't lie to me," Harry said shortly. Hermione looked up at him, expecting to see him glaring at her but instead saw him looking at her a little sadly. "I know you've been up to something, but I don't know why you haven't told me."</p><p>Hermione sighed and glanced down at her shoes as they stood between the rows of tents.</p><p>"It's for Kingsley, Harry," she said, chancing a glance at him. "I'd tell you if I could, but it's for the Order and it's supposed to be—"</p><p>"I know," Harry interrupted. Hermione's eyes widened, wondering if Kingsley had actually told Harry what she'd been tasked with doing. "Well, I know you're doing something for Kingsley. I don't know what it is though. What I do know is that you're also doing something else, something that Kingsley doesn't want you doing."</p><p>Of all the times for Harry to pay attention to things, this was not it. Granted, they'd been in a war for more than a year now so it was good for him to start noticing what people did, but Hermione hadn't wanted him to notice what she was doing.</p><p>"I can't tell you, Harry," she said softly, looking up at him apologetically. She hoped he understood that she wanted to, but it was too big of a risk. "If I could, I would and maybe one day I'll be able to, but right now I can't."</p><p>Harry nodded and looked away. She could tell he was upset with the answer, but she refused to let that convince her to tell him right then and there.</p><p>"Please understand—"</p><p>"I do," he said quickly, still not looking at her. Hermione stopped reaching for him like she had been and drew her hand back. "I'll keep covering for you when Kingsley asks," he told her, though she could tell he was getting upset. "But don't expect me to not notice how you always leave. I won't lie to Ginny or Ron, though. If they ask, I'll tell them you've disappeared again."</p><p>"That's fine, Harry, thank you," she said quietly. Harry nodded once then turned on his heel and returned to the dinner tent without saying anything else.</p><p>Hermione sighed again and continued on her way to their shared tent where she pulled on her cloak and checked her notebook one last time. While Malfoy hadn't mentioned a specific meeting time, Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to wait to leave when Harry, Ron, and Ginny would be around to ask her questions. Rather than wait around and leave in an awkward attempt of avoiding their questions, Hermione apparated to Grimmauld Place early and found her way up to the old library.</p><p>There wasn't much in the old Black library that Hermione was interested in, but she didn't very well want to do nothing while she waited for Malfoy. It seemed like luck was on her side when she found a book on ancient healing practices stuffed between two books on blood rituals, so she pulled it from its place and went back downstairs to read. She sat on the bottom two steps, facing the door so she'd know as soon as Malfoy showed up, and cracked open the book to begin reading.</p><p>Much of the healing tricks and spells mentioned she'd already heard of, but there were a few she came across that had her writing notes down in the very back of her notebook so she wouldn't forget. While none of the spells were for the newer curses being developed, many of them could be used to counteract some of the effects or speed up healing when a curse had roots in certain fields. She found a particularly helpful spell that worked as a powerful pain reliever for any curse based on alchemy and made sure it was clearly written down back turning the page.</p><p>She was so engrossed in her reading that when Malfoy did appear at nearly ten o'clock, the loud crack from his apparation made her jump. She set her book aside, making a mental note to take it back to the Order when she and Malfoy finished at Grimmauld Place, then looked up at Malfoy to ask what he needed so desperately.</p><p>"I hope you don't have evening plans," he said, adjusting the dragonhide gloves he was wearing. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. "There's a meeting at the Manor I think you may be interested in hearing. You'll have to use the elf passage ways, of course, but I'm sure you'll find it amendable due to the information you're likely to hear."</p><p>"Which manor?" Hermione asked, standing up from where she'd been sitting on the stairs.</p><p>"Malfoy," he replied. Hermione's breath hitched and almost subconsciously she could feel her arm burning. "I know it's not ideal, but I won't be attending so there's no way for me to get the information to you otherwise. Would you rather not go?" he asked, not unkindly.</p><p>"No, I want to," she said immediately. If Malfoy was telling her about it, then it had to be important. "If you're not going, how am I to get in?"</p><p>Malfoy's lips twitched into a smirk as he looked at her in amusement.</p><p>"It is my house," he reminded her. Hermione rolled her eyes. "I can apparate you though the wards and ley lines without triggering anything. Once we're inside, we'll access the house elf passages to find the meeting."</p><p>"Oh, so you are coming?" she asked. Malfoy snorted and nodded his head.</p><p>"Just because I'm not allowed to attend the meeting doesn't mean I'm letting you have all the fun, Granger," he said. He held out his hand for Hermione to take. Without hesitating, she grabbed it and stepped closer so they could apparate. It looked like he was about to say something else, but before she could ask what, they were being yanked away by the feeling of apparation and Hermione squeezed her eyes closed so she didn't get too dizzy.</p><p>They landed in a large room, lit by floating candles and a large silver chandelier. Hermione didn't have to look around much to know they'd apparated to a private room of the manor. The tall bookshelf to her right drew her attention at the same time the large bed in front of her did. With a dark green comforter and what looked like white silk pillow sheets, Hermione was quick to realise she was standing in the middle of Draco Malfoy's bedroom.</p><p>"If you wanted to sleep with me, you could have just asked instead of making up a story to get me to your room," Hermione teased, glancing up at him with an irritated look. Malfoy raised an eyebrow at her and released her hand, something she hadn't been aware she was still holding.</p><p>"If I wanted to sleep with you, I wouldn't have arrived wearing these robes," Malfoy taunted back. Hermione glanced over the dark robes he was wearing and realised they were identical to all the Death Eaters' robes. He must have gone directly from a base to Grimmauld Place, but when she'd stopped noticing the dark robes for what they were, she couldn't be sure.</p><p>"I don't think the robes would make any difference," she said, shrugging slightly and casting another glance around the room. She gave him a teasing smirk as she said, "I'd have said no either way."</p><p>"Fuck off," Malfoy replied, though there was no real bite the insult. Hermione just grinned in reply and watched him walk toward the bookshelf she'd been eyeing. Without looking back at her, he said, "If you won't sleep with me, you definitely can't touch my books."</p><p>"I don't want to touch your books," Hermione lied haughtily. There was very little keeping her from walking over and pulling them off the shelf aside from her sheer desire to not give him any more reason to suggest such an absolutely foul thing.</p><p>Malfoy just snorted and seemed to distract himself with something behind the bookshelf. A second later, Hermione heard a soft <em>click</em> and he moved the bookshelf with ease. Behind it, a narrow passage appeared and Malfoy stepped inside. He had to crouch in a way that looked rather uncomfortable, but when Hermione stepped in after him, she hardly had to bend her neck.</p><p>"I always hated how small these things were," Malfoy grumbled in front of her. "Hopefully you aren't scared of dark, tight spaces."</p><p>Hermione frowned, glancing behind her at his bedroom that was casting light into the tunnel. While she was glancing back, the bookshelf moved back into place and sealed them both inside. She only had a second to realise it was too dark to see her own hand before Malfoy lit his wand and she could see again.</p><p>"This isn't ideal, no," she admitted, lighting her own wand to light the tunnel further. "However, it's not the worst thing I've done this year."</p><p>Malfoy glanced over his shoulder at her with a small smirk. He turned back around and started down the tunnel, his footsteps almost silent even though the tunnel was clearly meant to echo. Hermione ended up casting a silencing charm on her own shoes so she could keep up with his pace and stay quiet. Neither of them spoke as they walked and while Hermione had no idea where they were at or where they were going, Malfoy seemed to know the exact answers to both. She was starting to wonder how he even knew how to navigate the tunnels when he stopped abruptly.</p><p>"Here," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. He shifted awkwardly to face one of the walls and Hermione followed suit.</p><p>She glanced at Malfoy skeptically but he nodded confidently. Nonverbally, she cast a spell to enhance her hearing and she was able to make out the quiet voices on the other side of the wall. She wasn't sure how many people were there, but she immediately recognised the two voices.</p><p>"You'll have full control of the Swiss border when it falls," Lucius Malfoy promised.</p><p>"My pack wants England, not Switzerland," Fenrir Greyback snarled. "The Swiss have their own pack ready to fight."</p><p>Hermione inhaled sharply at his voice and glanced to her right at Draco to see if he'd recognised it. His lips were pursed and his face unreadable, but she could tell he knew exactly what this meeting was about.</p><p>"If you don't think your pack can handle another, perhaps you're not as strong of an ally to the Dark Lord as you thought," Lucius replied. Greyback snarled again but Hermione doubted such an act would intimidate someone like Lucius. She was proven right shortly after when he said, "You don't frighten me, Fenrir. There's a reason I was made your primary contact and if you don't want to end up as a muggle exhibit, you'll keep your more feral traits out of my manor."</p><p>There was a tense pause and Hermione held her breath. Beside her, Malfoy seemed to do the same.</p><p>"You say when the Swiss border falls," Greyback said and Hermione had to think quickly back through what had been said before. "I thought it was guaranteed already."</p><p>"It is," Lucius said calmly. "A matter of days and Bellatrix will have a secured hold there. She's already taken the Swiss minister and their government is falling as we speak. Thanks to Dolohov's new potion, our soldiers are able to fight longer and harder. By the next full moon, you'll have new territory."</p><p>"I want security now," Greyback demanded. Something crashed loudly and Hermione jumped at the sharp noise, elbowing the wall behind her.</p><p>"Fuck," Malfoy hissed, looking at her with wide, panicked eyes. He grabbed her arm and turned her back the way they came, shoving her forward. "Go, hurry," he hissed.</p><p>Hermione tripped as she tried to look at him but he kept moving her forward. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but he didn't give her time. A sharp look from him silenced her and she let him steer her back through the tunnel until the back of the bookshelf came into view. Malfoy reached around her and pushed a square area in front of them. With a flick of his wand, the bookshelf slid out of the way and they went tumbling into his room.</p><p>Malfoy didn't let her go even as they tripped over each other and almost toppled to the ground. He kept his hold on her secure and the second they regained their balance, he was apparating them both back to Grimmauld Place. Hermione, dizzy from the apparation and still stumbling from being pushed out of the tunnel, went crashing into the wall.</p><p>"Don't leave," Malfoy ordered, holding out his hand in warning. "I don't know—I have to go back and it could be hours before I return but you can't—Don't leave. There's more you need to know before you do."</p><p>Before Hermione could ask what was happening or why he needed to go back to Malfoy Manor, he disapparated in front of her and she was left alone in Grimmauld Place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Chapter 19</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco returned to the Manor a second before his bedroom door flew open. The bookshelf was still pushed away to reveal the house elf tunnel and Draco was certain he looked a bit of a mess, but the only thing he really seemed to register was the fact that his father looked absolutely livid. He didn't bother fixing his hair or trying to subtly move the bookshelf back in place. It wouldn't help and the bookshelf had been the first place his father looked when he had entered the room.</p><p>"Greyback said he heard you," his father said, staring at the open tunnel. "I swore you weren't that stupid but clearly I was wrong." The bookshelf slammed back into place as his father raised his wand at it and Draco refused to flinch. "I thought you were smarter than that, Draco," he hissed at him. "Do you care to explain yourself or are my assumptions correct?"</p><p>"What are your assumptions?" Draco asked. He doubted his father suspected him of bringing Granger or anyone else into the Manor, but he wanted to know for sure.</p><p>"You've always been ambitious, but when the Dark Lord forbids you from attending a meeting, you do not disobey!" his father yelled. He stepped further into Draco's room but Draco did not move. Stepping close enough Draco could feel his breath, his father hissed, "Greyback thinks you should be given to him, but you've been my son for long enough I know how to deal with you. I told him I would do it, but do you know what he told me?"</p><p>Draco kept his gaze straight ahead, not looking at his father and focusing on keeping his heart from beating out of his chest. He struggled to keep his breathing steady and wondered if he always swallowed so loudly.</p><p>"He says you brought someone with you," his father whispered angrily. "Someone he didn't know by scent and someone stupid enough to trip in the tunnel. Tell me this now, Draco, or I'll hand you to the Dark Lord myself: Who did you bring with you?"</p><p>"Blaise," Draco whispered after a pause. He kept his eyes on the door behind his father and willed himself not to look up at him. If he looked at his father, he worried that somehow he'd know it had been Granger and not Blaise in that tunnel with him.</p><p>His father hummed and took a single step back. Without warning, he grabbed Draco's face and forced him to meet his eyes. Draco barely had time to prepare before he felt a searing knife cut through his mind.</p><p>He'd always been a skilled Occlumens thanks to both Severus's and his mother's teachings, but for a second he struggled to fight his father. The searing through his mind only got worse and Draco hastened to think of Blaise. It had been years since he'd introduced Blaise to the house elf tunnels, but his father was angry and would not notice how young Blaise looked. He fell for the trick and after burning through memories of Draco and Blaise in the tunnels, he released his hold on Draco and withdrew from his mind.</p><p>"You're a foolish boy, Draco," he snarled. Without any remorse, he turned his wand on Draco and snarled angrily, "<em>Crucio</em>."</p><p>Draco gasped and his eyes went wide as the curse hit him in the chest. His knees wobbled as his body burned from the inside out and he felt his body shake. Stifling a cry of pain, he dropped to his knees and panted heavily. His head pounded from the earlier Legilimency assault and the sensation was only multiplied by the anger in the <em>cruciatus</em> curse that coursed through him. It didn't take long before he couldn't keep himself upright even on his knees and he fell forward, hardly able to catch himself with his hands as his body continued to convulse and he cried out in pain. This only seemed to make his father more upset as the pain increased to the point that Draco found himself dropping fully to the ground and rolling onto his back.</p><p>A shock of pain shot from his ribs to his hip but he wasn't sure if it was part of the <em>crucio</em> or not. He couldn't even think to check as his back arched off the ground and he felt fire in every part of his body. He clutched at the carpet for something to hold onto but came up empty handed and ended up digging his fingernails into his palms. His hands spasmed and his fingers twitched and somehow through the haze of pain, he registered Hermione's warning about the <em>cruciatus</em> curse. She'd be livid if she found out about this, he knew it.</p><p>As if the thought of Hermione getting upset was the key, the curse suddenly lifted and Draco gasped for air. His father towered over him, his wand still pointed down at his chest and a scowl permanently on his face.</p><p>"Don't you ever go near those tunnels again, do you hear me?" he demanded. Draco barely managed to nod and the movement sent pain from his neck all the way down his spine.</p><p>Without another word, his father turned on his heel and stormed out of the room. Draco stayed on the floor, trying very hard not to move as phantom pain jolted through his body and his torso ached. Blearily, he brought a hand up to his chest and paused as his fingers felt something warm. He pulled his hand back, ignoring the way it shook as he held it above his face and stared at the red blood now covering his fingers. As best he could, he moved his chin down to see his robes torn with one long cut through them, slowly growing darker with blood.</p><p>In a panic, Draco fumbled for his notebook to write Hermione. It wasn't until he'd pulled it from his robes that he realised he didn't have a quill and it would do no good. He attempted to stuff the notebook back into the pocket of his robes and slowly sat up, gritting his teeth through the pain. His torso hurt worse as he curved forward and unconsciously, his hand darted out over the pain.</p><p>"Fuck," he murmured as his hand grew even stickier with blood.</p><p>He took a second to collect himself, trying to determine if he should apparate back to Grimmauld Place or simply wait for his mother to check on him. Taking in the gaping wound on his abdomen, he knew he couldn't apparate in his current state.</p><p>Clumsily, he pulled his wand from its holster and pointed it at the wound. He hadn't taken many healing classes before, but he knew the basics well enough to at least stop the bleeding and heal it enough he could apparate. After all, there was no telling how long it would be before his mother checked on him and he couldn't leave Granger waiting all night.</p><p>He waited until he felt like he could breathe without getting dizzy before moving. Slowly, he pulled himself to his feet using a nearby chair and only swaying slightly. When his vision was clear and he could breathe again, he released the chair and focused very hard on Grimmauld Place before apparating.</p><p>The second he landed, he went crashing into the wall. Having not accounted for how small the entryway was, he'd barely made it inside. His hand moved to his abdomen to check it and unsurprisingly, it came back bloody. He cursed, but hastily covered his wound back up at the sound of footsteps. Granger, having heard the noise, came running into view and frowned despite Draco's very intense effort to appear fine.</p><p>"There's more you need to know about that meeting," he said, bracing himself on the wall.</p><p>"You're hurt," she said, blatantly ignoring the way he was trying to direct the attention away from him.</p><p>He tried to wave her off, but the action backfired when she gasped at the sight of his bloodstained hand and she bolted forward. He didn't even try to fight her and instead, slumped uselessly against her side. She stumbled under his weight and while he tried to apologise, he couldn't seem to form intelligible words.</p><p>"What happened?" she asked, fiddling with her sleeve. A second later, her wand slid into view and she cleared the area they were standing in.</p><p>Draco meant to answer, but in his current state of mind, he found her movements all too distracting. He watched in dazed awe as she transfigured a summoned chair into a cot and forced him to lie down on it. Beside him, she dropped to her knees and her hands flitted about. He tried to watch as she vanished his robes, but pain shot through him sharply and it was all he could do not to cry out in pain.</p><p>"Draco, talk to me," she demanded, hovering over him for a moment. She disappeared from his sight and Draco was left to stare at the ceiling. A second later, he heard her say, "The wound on your stomach, tell me about it."</p><p>"It hurts," Draco said dumbly. He couldn't see her, but he grinned at the image of her rolling her eyes at him.</p><p>"Was it made with a cursed blade? Dark magic?" she asked. He could feel her cool fingers pulling his shirt from his body and struggled to look at her. "Lay down," she ordered sharply. Draco's head dropped back to the cot immediately.</p><p>"Just a wand," Draco answered. Hermione hummed then went silent.</p><p>Draco wanted to watch her work, but he knew he'd get scolded if he moved. Instead, he tried to hold very still even as the phantom pains from the <em>crucio</em> echoed through his body and the sharp stab of pain from his torso remained.</p><p>"I don't have anything to help the pain," Hermione said suddenly. Her head appeared above him for a second and he could have sworn she'd tricked him into taking a pain potion then, because suddenly he felt a bit better.</p><p>"It's not that bad," he told her. She gave him a small smile then disappeared again to continue working on his stomach. The pain returned and Draco couldn't stop the small whimper that escaped.</p><p>"It's about to get momentarily worse," she said. Draco frowned, but before he could worry about what she was going to do, his abdomen felt like it was on fire once again and he gasped.</p><p>The pain lasted only a few seconds and as soon as it disappeared, Hermione's face was hovering over his again. She reached forward and brushed his hair out of his face, giving him a small smile as she did.</p><p>"Sorry," she said quietly. "It's the only spell I know to heal a cut like that without the aid of potions."</p><p>"Didn't hurt that much," Draco grumbled. He felt her free hand wrap around one of his comfortingly and he closed his eyes. "Thanks."</p><p>"I'm a healer, Draco," she said. He peeked an eye open to see her smirking. "It's what I do."</p><p>"I do have more information for you," he said, hoping she didn't think he'd just made her wait so she could heal him. He struggled to sit up as he said, "I was hoping they'd say more since all I have are rumours, but—"</p><p>"Lay back down," Hermione said, taking her hand off his cheek. "You may not have an open wound anymore, but your body is still healing."</p><p>"I'm fine, you need the information," he said, pushing himself fully upright.</p><p>His body spasmed and his fingers twitched as another phantom pain coursed through him. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him and lifted his hand up. He willed his body to stay still, but as she stretched out his hand and let go, his fingers trembled.</p><p>"You were cursed!" she exclaimed, immediately taking his hand back between both of hers. "Merlin, Malfoy, you should have said something earlier!"</p><p>"You were busy with the cut on my stomach," Draco reminded her. His eyes dropped to his hand that she was massaging vigorously. "Would you really have let it be so you could massage my hands?"</p><p>"Shut up," Hermione muttered. She, too, was looking down at his hand as she massaged it soothingly.</p><p>Draco just stared, trying to memorise the movements in case he ever needed to know them even though he doubted he would.</p><p>When she finished with his first hand, she took his second and began the massage all over again. Draco let his eyes fall closed and he leaned back until his head hit the wall behind him. It wasn't a comfortable pillow, but his body was exhausted enough that anything felt fine.</p><p>"Will you tell me what happened?" Hermione asked. He jolted awake, almost pulling his hand away before stopping himself. She looked up at him, but didn't ask again.</p><p>"When you hit the wall, Greyback heard," he told her. He'd figured as much which is why he'd reacted so quickly and she nodded as if that made all the sense in the world. "My father appeared shortly after I returned and seeing as I was not supposed to overhear the meeting, he was upset."</p><p>"Does he know you brought me?" Hermione asked, looking up at him briefly. Draco shook his head.</p><p>"Greyback knew there was someone with me, but he didn't recognise your scent," he promised. "I told him it was Blaise."</p><p>If Hermione thought there was more to the story, she didn't say anything. She just finished the massage on his hands and sat back on her heels, looking up at him with an unreadable expression.</p><p>"You said you had more information?" she finally asked. Draco nodded.</p><p>"The Dark Lord has been fighting on the Swiss border for months," he said, something he was sure she already knew. "My aunt has been permanently stationed there, but word has it that they'll soon have control of the country. It's inevitable at this point and there's no way for the Order to stop it, but they're going to make it look like there's a way."</p><p>"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her eyebrows drawn together.</p><p>"It's a trick," he warned. "They'll broadcast an attack from the south and the west, but those areas have already been widely taken control of. There's going to be an opening for the Order to slip in through the north unnoticed, but Bellatrix has almost all of her soldiers stationed there waiting. Switzerland is well protected now and your best chance at winning is if you take back northern France and regain control of the channel."</p><p>"There's bases operating out of northern France?" Hermione asked. Draco paused. He could have sworn he'd already told her that.</p><p>"Yes," he said hesitantly. "We control most of the channel which is how we've gotten Death Eaters across without raising suspicion."</p><p>"Can you get me the locations of these bases?" she asked. Draco nodded. That was easy enough. "Will we need a portkey to get across or do you think a muggle ship is alright?"</p><p>"I haven't heard of them monitoring any muggle ships, so that should be fine," Draco assured her. He did remind her of the anti-apparation wards that had been set up in the south of England, but she seemed to remember them. "Attacking France when the public attack on Switzerland takes place should give the Order an improved chance."</p><p>Hermione nodded and got to her feet. She hesitated, looking down at Draco as if about to ask him something then shook her head.</p><p>"Try not to get cursed again, okay?" she said. Draco nodded and when she held out her hand to help him up from the cot, he took it. "I have to stay with the Order and smooth some things out, but if you get cursed, I expect to be told."</p><p>"Promise," Draco replied. She apparated away and a second later, Draco followed suit, landing in his bedroom and immediately finding his way to his bed. It didn't even occur to him until he'd buried under his blankets that he'd been shirtless since Hermione had healed his chest, but by the time he realised it, he was so close to falling asleep he didn't particularly care.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. Chapter 20</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione told Kingsley and Harry about the situation in Switzerland at the same time. She hadn't meant to, but she'd walked into Kingsley's tent the following morning and seen them both standing there, so she'd mentioned it then. Harry, rightfully so, was confused as to how she knew, but Kingsley didn't question it. He dismissed Harry shortly after she broke the news then rounded on Hermione.</p><p>"He'll question everything I do now," he said. Hermione couldn't care less. "If word gets out that you're bringing the information in for battle plans, a rumour will get out that there's a second spy."</p><p>"I'll talk with him," Hermione promised. "I'll make sure he says nothing."</p><p>"Good," Kingsley replied. He held out his hand as if expecting a parchment, but Hermione didn't move. "The parchment, Granger."</p><p>"I don't have one this time," she told him. Why the sudden need for a parchment, Hermione didn't know. He'd accepted information before at just her word. "The information was too sensitive to write down."</p><p>"All other information has been sensitive as well," Kingsley reminded her. He dropped his hand, though. "Where are you meeting your contact anyway?"</p><p>"I can't tell you," Hermione said, and for that she was glad. "Before Snape died, he made you swear I'd be the only one who knew. If you wanted to find out, you shouldn't have said anything."</p><p>Kingsley pursed his lips, clearly upset with the lack of parchment and her refusal to answer.</p><p>"Bring a parchment next time," he said before dismissing her.</p><p>Hermione nodded and left the tent, stopping short at the sight of Harry waiting outside for her. He gave her an awkward smile and they fell into step together. Without saying a word, they both headed outside of the camp borders and into the forest where no one could see or hear them. While the Order was safe, preying ears weren't and if Hermione was correct about why he'd waited for her, the conversation needed to be private.</p><p>"What's going on, Hermione?" Harry asked, breaking the silence between them. He was staring down at the ground as he walked, hands stuffed in his pockets as if this was just another stroll.</p><p>"If I tell you, Harry Potter, you can't breathe a word to anyone," she said, glancing up at him. Harry stopped and looked at her. "If there is even the slightest rumour about what I'm about to tell you, Kingsley would have me publicly shamed and removed from the Order."</p><p>"Alright," he promised. Hermione made him swear it. "I swear."</p><p>Even then, Hermione waited several seconds before saying anything, avoiding the way Harry stared at her expectantly.</p><p>"Before Snape died, he was working with another Death Eater who wanted to spy for the Order," Hermione told him quietly. "He gave Snape information to send to the Order and a few days before Snape was executed, he arranged for me to meet with them and become a direct contact."</p><p>She glanced at Harry to see what he was thinking, but he didn't seem to have formed an opinion yet. He was watching her patiently, clearly determined to wait until she finished to say anything.</p><p>"As part of the agreement, I'm the only one who knows his identity and where we meet," she said. Harry opened his mouth then promptly closed it, but Hermione already knew what he'd been about to say. "It's safe, Harry. All I'm supposed to do is meet him every now and then and gather information for Kingsley."</p><p>"But you're not," he said. Hermione nodded. "Does Kingsley know?"</p><p>"Of course not," she scoffed, imagining how he'd react if he found out she was going on recon missions in the middle of the night against his command. "He refuses to let me on the battlefield though, so we've been taking a different approach."</p><p>Harry looked at her quizzically. Hermione, having expected this conversation, removed the wards she'd put around the area and watched as Harry looked over the charred portion of the forest she'd worked hard to cover up.</p><p>"You bombed those bases," he said breathlessly. Several trees were still leaning precariously and the ground was just as charred as it had been the first day. If Harry noticed the lingering dark magic and the way it crept toward their toes, he said nothing.</p><p>"We've done more too, but Kingsley would never have allowed it since we've been using spells and potions based in the dark arts," she told him. She put the wards back up so she didn't have to look at Harry's face as she spoke. "Mulciber started a sort of slave trade with muggleborns, blood traitors, and muggles. The night when I got back early in the morning and slept until lunch, we rescued thirteen captives from one of Yaxley's properties."</p><p>"Did you mention it to Kingsley?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "What is he doing about it?"</p><p>"Oh, watching the press more carefully, I assume," she said flippantly. She didn't actually know what he'd done with the information. "I imagine he's made sure each safe house knows there's a possibility of them showing up suddenly, but there's no way to send a team in to rescue them. We're keeping an eye on them though."</p><p>"And the situation in Switzerland? You're absolutely certain that's true?" he asked. Hermione nodded, but he still looked a little wary. After all, it was a big risk to ignore what would seem like an easy opening.</p><p>"I heard it from Lucius Malfoy myself," she answered, though she refused to tell him how if he asked. "He was guaranteeing the country to Greyback."</p><p>"I thought you said you were getting information from the spy," Harry said, looking worried.</p><p>"It was something I had to hear in person," she told him. "We went undercover and he ensured I was never found. You can trust me, Harry. France is the only way."</p><p>He nodded, but he still looked wary at the thought of her leaving to meet with a Death Eater. Hermione wondered if telling him who she was meeting might dissuade some of his worries, but remembering how he and Draco had acted in Hogwarts, she knew it would likely make things worse.</p><p>"I guess it makes sense now," Harry said, smiling at himself. "I always wondered how Kingsley got new information after Snape died, but of course the bastard arranged for someone to take his place."</p><p>"You're not upset about the dark arts part?" Hermione asked, having expected him to be more annoyed. Instead, he just shrugged and shook his head.</p><p>"You're always been the brightest witch I know," he told her, though what that had to do with why he wasn't upset, Hermione didn't know. "If you're messing with dark magic, it has to be for a reason. Besides, even in muggle wars, the good guys have to fight like the bad guys to win."</p><p>Hermione gave him a small smile and nodded. She'd tried to explain it to Kingsley, but he wasn't familiar with muggle history so there was no point. He'd also been strictly against the use of dark magic at all, so it was no mystery what would happen if he found out she'd both disobeyed a direct order regarding Malfoy and been using dark magic to do so.</p><p>"Tell me, is the spy just as greasy and old as Snape?" Harry asked, changing the subject as if they'd been talking about the weather or something just as civil.</p><p>"No," Hermione said, laughing at the thought of how Draco would react to such a statement. "No, not at all."</p><p>"Does he have an annoying drawl?" he asked. Hermione laughed again and shook her head.</p><p>"He's not like Snape at all, Harry," she assured him before he could ask any more questions. "Though I'm sure you'd like him about the same."</p><p>"Great," Harry grumbled, starting back toward the camp. "You're sure you aren't being imperiused?"</p><p>"Absolutely," Hermione answered. After all, while that may explain why she'd been able to tolerate Draco's presence at Grimmauld Place, it did not explain why she'd written to him that morning suggesting they meet again so she could inspect the cut on his abdomen and apply dittany.</p><p>She found herself wondering why she'd even suggested the idea all day, even after parting ways with Harry and not having anyone around to question her about it. When she got a reply shortly after lunch however, she found herself smiling down at the notebook before Ginny gave her a strange look and she hurried to shove it away.</p><p>By the time she left the medical tent late in the evening, she had run through the list of things she wanted to bring to ensure the cut on Malfoy's stomach healed correctly at least four times. She had dittany stuffed in her robe pockets and four potion vials shrunk to fit as well.</p><p>She forced herself to eat dinner slowly before returning to the tent to wait out the remaining hour. Only Ron was inside when she arrived and she hoped it would stay that way, but when the time finally arrived for her to leave, Harry and Ginny walked through the front flap.</p><p>"Where are you going?" Ginny asked, tearing herself out of her conversation with Harry.</p><p>"I have an evening shift in the medical tent," she lied, glancing at Harry. "Padma wants the first half off, so we split the time."</p><p>Ginny hummed skeptically and walked past her into the bathroom. Harry gave Hermione an apologetic smile, told her not to stay out too late, then flopped down on his bed like a limp sack. While Ron asked him if he was alright, Hermione took the moment to apparate to Grimmauld Place unhindered.</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>Hermione jumped, spinning around to see Draco sitting on the stairs waiting for her.</p><p>"Am I late?" she asked. She could have sworn he'd said 10pm, but maybe she'd read it wrong.</p><p>"No, I just got away early," he answered. He stood up and pulled off his outer robe. "What kinds of poison do you have for me?"</p><p>"It's not poison," she scowled, watching him tug off his shirt to reveal the angry pink scar that was left on his stomach. She moved into the dining room and turned on the light so she could see better.</p><p>"I have to say, Granger, it certainly doesn't feel like it's been healed," he said, poking the pink skin. Hermione swatted at his hand and pulled a chair out so she could sit in front of him as he remained standing. "Are you sure you're a healer?"</p><p>"It's healed enough, prat," she told him. She pulled out of the potion vials, setting them on the table, and uncapped the dittany. "Without any potions on hand, it was the best I can do. Now hold still."</p><p>Without warning, she dipped her finger into the dittany and spread it across the scar on his abdomen. Draco sucked in a breath but didn't pull away, letting her apply the dittany across the long scar and very pointedly looking over her shoulder. Hermione worked quickly, ignoring the way Draco's stomach tightened every time she rubbed the dittany over it and telling herself she was being ridiculous. This was a perfectly normal thing to do so there was no reason for his shallow breaths or bare chest to have her toes curling.</p><p>"Take one of those potions every morning," she said, not looking up from where she was rubbing the dittany. "They'll help heal any damage inside your body while the dittany will heal the outside damage. Unfortunately, I can't leave it with you so—"</p><p>"I have some at the Manor," Draco interrupted. He leaned forward and reached down to grab one of the potion vials, either not noticing or not caring how close his chest came to Hermione's face. She glared at the pale skin and rubbed a little harder when he finally stood upright again. "Hey! Be gentle!" he exclaimed.</p><p>"Sorry," Hermione smirked. She heard him pull the cap off the potion and a second later, the empty vial was being set back down on the table and his chest was in her face again. "Would you stop that?"</p><p>"Stop what?" Draco asked incredulously. "I'm doing what you told me to."</p><p>Hermione grumbled, but she was finished with the dittany and had an excuse to stand up and turn her back to him. She put the cap back on and stuffed it in her robe pocket. When she turned around, she expected Draco to have put his shirt back on but instead, he was still standing shirtless in front of her looking like he didn't have a care in the world.</p><p>"Put a shirt on," she said. She gathered the remaining three potions and handed them over to him. "Merlin knows no one wants to be blinded by your pale chest."</p><p>"You can look, Granger," he smirked. He took the vials from her and stuffed them in the pockets of his pants before summoning his shirt. "Not everyone gets to see this, you know."</p><p>"They're lucky," she bit back. Draco rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt over his head. Without anything else coming to mind, she asked, "How are your hands?"</p><p>Draco glanced down at his hands, looking momentarily confused before he registered why she was asking.</p><p>"You should probably take care of them while you're here," he said, offering one of his hands over to her. "No one else will and I'm not particularly fond of the consequences."</p><p>"Good," Hermione replied. She took his hand in hers and began massaging it.</p><p>Even though she could feel no tremors, she massaged both of his hands for the full seven minutes just to be safe. She wasn't sure if doing the massage a little extra would actually help reduce the risk of permanent tremors, but now was as good a time as ever to try. Besides, Draco didn't seem particularly open to telling her when he was on the end of the <em>crucio</em> so she'd take the time she could get. Maybe if she was a little more open with him, he'd be more open in return.</p><p>"I told Harry there's a second spy," she said suddenly. She wasn't sure why she'd decided that was what she needed to be more open about, but the second the words left her mouth, she worried Draco would pull his hand away. Almost subconsciously, she held onto his hand tighter and rushed to explain. "I had to tell him about Switzerland and he's been suspicious this whole time, but I didn't tell him who you were, just that you existed."</p><p>"He'll tell others," Draco said sharply. Just like she feared, he tugged his hand away. "He may not know who the spy is, but if the Order knows, then the Death Eaters are bound to know."</p><p>"He won't tell anyone, but I had to tell him," Hermione said, looking up at him sharply. "I couldn't keep lying about where I've been going to my friends. If something happens, they deserve to know why."</p><p>"Oh fuck off, Granger, nothing is going to happen to you," Draco snapped with a scowl. "I bring you the information here and when we do go out, you're perfectly safe."</p><p>"Not always," she argued. This was a war and wars were never safe no matter what you were doing. "I told Harry so he wouldn't question Kingsley's order. If I hadn't, he would have marched straight to Switzerland without telling anyone and then he'd die."</p><p>"That's no excuse to risk my cover," Draco said. Hermione fumed and crossed her arms in front of her so she wouldn't hex him. "Anyone knowing is a risk and I don't want to end up like Severus or worse."</p><p>"He'll keep the secret," Hermione promised, but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.</p><p>"And if he lets it slip on accident?" Draco demanded, crossing his own arms and looking over her shoulder. "A rumour starts in the Order and then what?"</p><p>"He won't say anything because if he does, Kingsley won't hesitate to remove me from the Order and leave me on my own," Hermione bit back. Draco glanced at her as she muttered, "Merlin knows he's been waiting for a good reason."</p><p>"Shacklebolt?" Draco asked. Hermione nodded sharply. "Why?"</p><p>"I used the killing curse months ago on the battlefield," she told him. She hadn't been ashamed then and she still wasn't now. "A Death Eater get too close and I killed him without second thought. Kingsley got upset and hasn't let me back out since." She looked up at Draco as she told him, "I told Harry about the dark magic in the bombs. He knows and he doesn't care because if he could, he'd use it too. Kingsley's watching him though and so is the rest of the Order, so he's limited."</p><p>"He could still let it slip," Draco grumbled, though Hermione could tell he wasn't as angry as before. "If there's a single rumour, do you really think you could shut it down?"</p><p>"No," Hermione answered honestly. The news about a new spy would be too hopeful to shut down, but Kingsley was sure to expel her the second he heard about it and that was bound to overshadow the news about him. "If there is a rumour though, it will be about my sudden expulsion from the Order and your Death Eaters will be more intent on finding me than you."</p><p>"You'll come here if that happens," Draco told her. For some reason, Hermione wasn't immediately put off by the fact that he'd said it more like a command than a suggestion or a question.</p><p>"Yes," she assured him. "But Harry won't tell anyone, Draco. I promise."</p><p>Draco nodded, seeming to finally believe her or at least agree with her. He didn't not hold out his hand again for her to continue massaging, though, and she did not ask.</p><p>"I should have news in a day or two," he said tensely, summoning his robe. Hermione nodded, watching him pull it on and grimace slightly as he pulled at his scar.</p><p>"The potions should be enough until then," she said, fiddling with his own robes. "Don't forget the dittany either."</p><p>Draco nodded and glanced at her once more. He barely so much as nodded at her before apparating away and leaving Hermione to ask herself why she'd even bothered telling him about Harry in the first place. Now he'd never tell her when he'd been cursed.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. Chapter 21</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place at Malfoy's alert, she expected to simply receive a parchment and a short goodbye, not to be handed a thick tome and envelope. She looked at the book then up at Malfoy skeptically, not sure if he was still upset from their last meeting or if this was somehow relevant.</p><p>"I found out what wards are placed around Newcastle," he explained. He gestured to the book and said, "They're all bookmarked and the letter is my own notes on what I tried in my lab."</p><p>"You've been testing the wards?" she asked. Malfoy nodded. "How?"</p><p>"I ran a test on the Newcastle property to determine which wards were in place to prevent apparation and if there were any that gave alerts about intruders," he told her. She flipped open the book to the first bookmark and skimmed over the words as he said, "I made a miniature version in my lab at home and used rats to run the tests. I wasn't able to complete the work, though."</p><p>"This one is based in potions," Hermione read, looking down at the ward listed in the book.</p><p>"I think if you can figure out a potion that counteracts it, you should be able to get past all the wards without problem," Draco told her. She closed the book again, tucking the envelope between the pages, and looked up to see Draco handing her a scroll of parchment. "That's all the information on the bases in France and the battle plan for Switzerland. I won't be around for at least a week or two, but if I hear anything, I'll write it in the notebook."</p><p>"Where are you going?" Hermione asked. She'd gotten rather used to seeing him almost every other day and even if the last time they'd left on not so great terms, she didn't want him to disappear.</p><p>"Switzerland," he answered. Hermione frowned. "My aunt has raised worry about me not being given enough chances to rise in rank, so I'll be joining her."</p><p>"On the battlefield or elsewhere?" Hermione asked. Draco pursed his lips and she had her answer. "What will you be doing?"</p><p>"Executions, most likely," he murmured, not meeting her eye. "It's easy work and when I do it, I can guarantee they don't suffer."</p><p>"I'm not sure the Order will see it like that."</p><p>"The Order won't care when they discover they've regained control of France," Draco replied, waving off her concern. Changing the subject, he said, "I'd like to take you to Newcastle so you can see the property before you do your own research. Having an idea of the property layout should help."</p><p>Hermione nodded, but she didn't expect him to hold out his hand.</p><p>"Now?" she asked. Draco nodded, so she took his hand and braced herself for the apparation.</p><p>They landed smoothly and just within sight of a large estate. It couldn't have been more than three levels tall, but it stretched out long and was fairly wide. Hermione didn't dare move forward in case she triggered a ward, so she committed the image to memory where she stood.</p><p>"The dungeons are there," Draco told her, pointing to the west of the house. "They extend from the entryway to the tower. The revels have been held directly above them to prevent another incident."</p><p>"Have you been inside?" she asked, glancing up at him. Draco nodded.</p><p>"It's secure, but if I can get you inside, I'm certain you can navigate the dungeons easily," he replied. She nodded in agreement. She'd once read somewhere that all pureblood estates had similar dungeon layouts and while it seemed wise to them, she considered it a fairly obvious design flaw.</p><p>"Do you have a floorplan?" she asked. With a smirk, Draco cast a model of the floorplan in front of her and she compared the estate she was seeing with the much smaller model. "Should be easy enough. When you come back from Switzerland, I should have a potion for getting through the wards."</p><p>"Don't rush," he told her. "I'll be gone for a while."</p><p>"If your notes are as helpful as I think they'll be, it shouldn't take me long," she said. She looked at the estate one last time then nodded to herself. "Alright. I can work with that."</p><p>Draco held out his hand again and they apparated back to Grimmauld Place. After making sure he didn't have any other news for her, Hermione returned to the Order and stuffed the book and parchment under her blanket to keep them hidden from Ginny.</p><p>When the morning came, she covered the book with her pillow and grabbed the parchment to take to Kingsley. He wasn't in his tent, so she spelled the parchment to stay sealed until he opened it and left for breakfast.</p><p>"Morning, Hermione," Ron said, falling into step beside her. "Any big plans for the day?"</p><p>"No, I'm afraid it's just the same as usual," she replied. She glanced at him and asked, "And you?"</p><p>"Kingsley said something about an attack on France," he said, looking up at her as well. "I thought Riddle already had France though, so I don't know what the point is."</p><p>"I'm sure Kingsley will explain before you leave," she assured him. They stepped into the tent and made their way over to where breakfast was being served as Hermione said, "How many are you taking?"</p><p>"Oh, I'm not leading," he said, shaking his head at the thought. "Bill is and I'm his second. I think we're taking fourteen others with us, though, if that's any help."</p><p>"Harry or Ginny?" she asked. Ron nodded as he grabbed a bowl of hot cereal.</p><p>"Both," he answered. Hermione wasn't sure if she would be glad to have the tent to herself for a few days or not. On the one hand, it would give her more freedom to work but on the other, Harry wouldn't be able to cover for her if she disappeared for the night.</p><p>"How long will you be gone?" she asked. "And when do you leave?"</p><p>"Leave in three days, I believe," Ron told her. They found an empty table to sit at where they could face the tent entrance and Ron shrugged. "Not sure how long we'll be gone. Up to a week, maybe. Couldn't tell you."</p><p>Hermione nodded and they both fell into silence so they could eat. Ron finished his oatmeal first and with a smile, he said goodbye and left. Shortly after, Hermione finished as well and made her way to the medical tent for a few hours.</p><p>As there hadn't been any major ambushes or battles recently, the medical wing was emptying out. There wasn't much she needed to do and with an hour until lunch, she was let go for the day. She only wondered what to do for a second before making her way to the tent and pulling the heavy book from under her pillow. She argued with herself over whether to read Draco's notes first or the information about the wards first, but settled on the latter. Once she had the information, she could compare Draco's notes with her own thoughts afterward.</p><p>There were only three wards that had been bookmarked, but they were not for amateurs. The first one was a specialised anti-apparation ward that she knew was there to prevent the apparation of those without dark marks as Draco had said. The second and third wards seemed to complement each other in an attempt to warn those inside the area of any intruders. Both were advanced, but Hermione could already see how they had roots to potion work given how they both required specific plants to be present where casting them.</p><p>She was reading about the second ward again when the tent flap opened and someone walked inside, making her jump.</p><p>"You missed lunch," Ginny said, eyeing the book she was holding. "What's that?"</p><p>"I got it from Grimmauld Place," Hermione told her, tucking Draco's envelope between the pages and closing it up. "It's to help improve the Order's wards around safehouses."</p><p>"Wouldn't most books from the Black house require the dark arts?" Ginny asked. Hermione shrugged but Ginny didn't look like she particularly cared anyway. "Kingsley set you up to this? Is he finally over you killing that one Death Eater?"</p><p>Hermione barked and shook her head.</p><p>"Absolutely not," she laughed, tucking the book under her arm. "He has no idea I even went to Grimmauld Place. This is more of a personal project."</p><p>Ginny seemed to accept her answer and sunk down onto her bed below Hermione. She sighed into her pillow and Hermione opened the book up once more, picking up where she left off. She'd just flipped back to the third ward when Harry and Ron walked in.</p><p>"Where'd you get a book?" Ron asked, drawing Harry's attention to it as well. Before Hermione could answer, Ginny did for her.</p><p>"She says she found it at Grimmauld Place and it's for a personal project," she replied. The bed shifted and Ginny's voice sounded less muffled as she warned the two boys, "It's probably best not to disturb her."</p><p>"Thank you, Ginny," Hermione said, eyeing Harry and Ron together. She returned her focus to her book and after she'd finished reading the third ward again, she opened Draco's notes and skimmed through them.</p><p>He hadn't gotten far, but what he had discovered would be a great help. It would save her at least two days of work and time was precious when it came to answers.</p><p>Gathering the book and the notes under one arm, Hermione climbed down from her bunk and pulled on her robe. She grabbed her bag from her bunk as well then turned and came face to face with Harry, Ron, and Ginny. All three of her friends looked at her quizzically, but it was Harry's gaze that seemed to convince her to tell them she wouldn't be going far.</p><p>"Just to the forest," she told them all. "I'm working on new wards for the Order and I can't very well practice in here. I'll be back by dinner."</p><p>"We'll save you a spot," Ron promised with a grin. Hermione smiled back and left the tent quickly, already racing with ideas on what to try before nightfall.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. Chapter 22</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco arrived in Switzerland two days after he'd told Hermione he would be leaving. He triple checked to make sure he'd stuffed his notebook in his robes before taking the portkey that dropped him on the doorstep of his aunt's current living quarters. It was several minutes after he knocked that the door opened and he was staring into the face of his Aunt Bellatrix for the first time in a week or two.</p><p>"Draco!" she cooed, opening her arms. He stepped forward and kissed her cheek, letting the door slam shut behind him. "How is England? Are you running your own base yet?" she prattled, turning her back to him and leading him inside.</p><p>"I've been planning attacks most recently," he explained, though he was certain she knew that already. "I'm not particularly fond of the logistics involved in running a base."</p><p>"Yes, yes, that's right," Aunt Bella said, waving her hand over her shoulder. "This will be your room," she exclaimed, throwing open the doors to a large room decorated in silver and black. "We leave in an hour."</p><p>Draco watched her leave, humming to herself, before the door shut behind her and he was alone. He levitated his trunk across the room and started unpacking his things into the dresser nearby. As his clothes folded and arranged themselves, he stepped over to one of the tall windows and looked out over the estate his aunt had somehow gotten her hands on. He supposed it shouldn't have been a surprise she'd taken over the Swiss Minister of Magic's home, but seeing as it had been opened to muggles before, he was shocked she'd actually decided to take up residence in it.</p><p>He took the short free time to check his notebook, making sure Hermione hadn't written to him in the time since he'd last checked. As expected, there was nothing there except her last notes on how she felt the solution to the wards at Newcastle was coming along.</p><p>The time seemed to escape all too quickly and soon he found himself taking the Floo to the Dark Lord's stronghold in Zurich. As they exited, his aunt hurried him through, hardly caring to introduce him or show him what they passed. Draco stayed quiet at her side, eyeing those around him in an attempt to recognise anyone. Very few faces were familiar and the only ones that were, were highly ranked Death Eaters that had come shortly before his aunt.</p><p>"Draco Malfoy has finally joined the fold," Alecto Carrow said as soon as he stepped into the room. His eyes narrowed minusculely at her as she grinned widely. "Come to learn how to big girls play?"</p><p>"He's come because unlike your blood traitor of a nephew, he's quickly rising through the Dark Lord's ranks," Aunt Bellatrix bragged, sneering at Alecto in reply. Draco slipped away, letting them bicker petulantly while he found himself something to drink. "Draco!" his aunt snapped, causing his head to turn quickly. "Come see what has been set up for you during your stay."</p><p>Draco left his search for a drink and rejoined his aunt and Alecto at the table. A parchment was unrolled and on it, he recognised the attack plan for later that week. Just like he'd been told, the north was left wide open though prepared for an invasion.</p><p>"We'll have the Order on us in a matter of days," Aunt Bella cackled. "Once we've captured them all, you'll have the honour of publicly executing them in Zurich. Merlin knows the Dark Lord needs more young soldiers in the reports." She wrinkled her nose and fell backward into a chair as she said, "I admire the Dark Lord for all he is, but he could certainly use less publicity of those old men we see so often."</p><p>"You're just jealous Antonin gets the credit for your idea with the acid," Alecto snickered. Faster than Draco could think, Aunt Bellatrix shot a curse at Alecto. Just as quickly, Alecto blocked the hit and sneered.</p><p>"Antonin Dolohov will get what he deserves in due time," Bellatrix snapped, twirling her wand beside her. "Draco here is a fresh start: brilliant in potions and humble to a fault, aren't you, Draco?"</p><p>Draco didn't answer.</p><p>"A perfect servant for our Dark Lord," Bellatrix cooed. Draco kept his face blank and returned his eyes to the strategy map in front of him. He could play the perfect pureblood nephew for now, but Merlin, would he live for his aunt's face on the day she found out it took more than blind devotion to turn him into the perfect servant.</p><hr/><p>Draco aided the bases in Zurich, Basel, and even one in Konstanz with planning for the attack on the remaining districts of Switzerland refusing to concede. While he knew the Order would not be attacking, he continued to allow for a group to remain in the north and be prepared. He kept his notebook with him at all times in case his aunt carelessly went through his things while he was gone, but he didn't dare take it out unless he was completely alone and certain no one could watch. While his work was tiring and not very fruitful, Hermione seemed to be having success with her research.</p><p>The days leading up to their attack on Switzerland, Draco got snappy and seemed to feed off the violent excitement that echoed through all the bases. Exactly a week after he arrived, the atmosphere changed and he knew the attack would be that night.</p><p>"Draco, darling," his aunt said at dinner, breaking the perpetual silence. "I want you to come with me to the front lines. You can see how a real battle is led."</p><p>"You're not fighting?" he asked. His aunt had always been one to jump into battle and stay away from command posts, so to hear her say she'd be leading a battle was nothing if not surprising.</p><p>"I don't take part in fighting battles as puny as this one will be," she said flippantly. "The Swiss are weak right now and I expect it will only be a few hours before they fall."</p><p>"And the northern ambush?" Draco asked. As expected, his aunt's eyes lit up. "Will I not be fighting there?"</p><p>"You'll have plenty of honour tomorrow when you kill them all in a public square," she told him. Draco held his tongue. "Tonight, you shall learn what true leadership looks like and tomorrow, under my counsel, you'll be the Dark Lord's youngest executioner."</p><p>"I look forward to it," Draco said, returning to his meal.</p><p>For what it was worth, Draco was interested in seeing how his aunt would command an army if only so he could prepare Hermione if Bellatrix ever led an attack on the Order. Aside from that, however, he would have much rather stayed in and written Hermione to ask after her work. He hadn't expected to miss their regular meetings and if she asked, he'd outright deny it. In an attempt to miss her less, he wrote a short message to her before meeting his aunt and apparating to where the battle would be taking place.</p><p>Even though Hermione had assured him Kingsley was not sending anyone to Switzerland that night, Draco found himself worrying about the possibility. She'd made it clear Kingsley was not her biggest fan so it seemed reasonable to think he'd lie to her. Knowing she was banned from the battlefield provided some comfort, however, and he managed to stay focused and present while his aunt gave out starting commands.</p><p>"You see, Draco," she mused, walking with him across the grounds. "It's about making them fear you. If your soldiers don't fear you, there's nothing keeping them from being a disappointment."</p><p>As if to prove her point, she turned and barked at a nearby Death Eater. His eyes widened and he jumped back, making Bellatrix cackle. She sent a curse at the boy and he scrambled out of the way. Draco just watched with a small smirk.</p><p>"You're the Dark Lord's second in command, Aunt Bella," Draco reminded her. She preened at the reminder, twirling her wand happily. "They'd be stupid not to concede to you."</p><p>"Be that as it may, they must still fear you yourself, not your position," she told him.</p><p>They must have reached the spot they were heading because before Draco could entertain that thought further, his aunt turned to face the ranks and sent the Mosmordre into the sky. All around them, Death Eaters apparated across the city and it wasn't long before Draco heard the first scream. Beside him, Bellatrix's eyes lit up as the city filled with the light of curses and Draco watched blankly.</p><p>Just like Bellatrix had told him, the city fell quickly and with it, the Swiss border. Even though the Swiss Minister of Magic had disappeared long ago and left the country to the uncoordinated defence of its magical population, his aunt thrived on the victory. Muggle governors were brought forward and Draco stood stoically at her side as she threatened them to concede or be executed. The ones that refused were hauled off screaming and Draco was promised the honour the following morning.</p><p>He wasn't even sure when morning came as it seemed to sneak up on him during the night. While Bellatrix judged what remained of the magical ministry, Draco was sent to the north to gather those that had been captured. He was relieved when the commander there reported no one had snuck through, but he knew it would guarantee the man's death.</p><p>"You had one job," he sneered, grabbing the man's collar. "Capture the Order members that passed by while Lestrange took Switzerland."</p><p>"No one came through! I swear it!" the man exclaimed, looking frightened. Draco sneered and apparated back to his aunt with the man in tow.</p><p>Upon his return, he shoved the commander to his knees and waited for his aunt to notice. It was seconds later that she turned around and her eyes narrowed at Draco first and then the man on the ground.</p><p>"Tell her," Draco ordered, pressing his heel to the man's back. "Tell her what you told me."</p><p>"No one—No one came," he stuttered, looking up at Bellatrix with wide, worried eyes. "We stayed alert all night and set unbreakable wards, but the Order never showed."</p><p>Bellatrix snarled and Draco barely managed to move his foot off the man's back before she killed him.</p><p>The man crumpled.</p><p>Draco looked away from the man's body and up to his aunt. She was shaking with barely controlled rage, her teeth barred as she sneered at the body in front of her.</p><p>Suddenly, she turned to the nearest person and shouted an angry curse. A Death Eater dropped to his knees, screaming in pain as his aunt focused all her fury on the one man. It wasn't long before his screams were cut short and he crumpled just like the commander before him. Bellatrix turned angrily to Draco and for a moment, Draco prepared to deflect a curse as well.</p><p>"Bring them all to me," she demanded, seething. "Every last one of them."</p><p>Draco bowed his head and apparated back to the northern base, ordering every Death Eater to return with him to Zurich. If they knew that they would be killed, they likely wouldn't have followed Draco's order as obediently. As it was, Draco apparated to his aunt's side and watched as she and several other Death Eaters immobilised each of them.</p><p>"Who is your spy?" Bellatrix shrieked. Draco's breath caught. "You report no Order members appeared and I demand to know who your spy is."</p><p>"A spy?" Draco asked, glancing at her. She didn't look away from the group even as she answered.</p><p>"The Order is predictable and that trap was like candy to a baby," she hissed. At her side, her wand sparked green and Draco eyed it warily. "There's no other explanation for such failure and if I have to curse them until I die to find out who it is, I will."</p><p>Draco watched as she stepped in front of each wizard and held her wand to their head. One after one, they shrieked at the sensation of her digging through their minds only to be killed shortly after. Around them, Death Eaters continued rounding up those that refused to accept the Dark Lord's power, but Draco didn't dare move. He stayed where he stood, watching his aunt use Legilimency on every last Death Eater from the north until they were all dead at her feet.</p><p>She screamed when the last one fell and Draco barely had time to react before she was firing angry curses at anyone that moved. He ducked behind a pillar of the muggle government building and waited until he heard her stop shouting before poking his head around. Her wand was pointed at the dead commander and if Draco hadn't known who it was before, he would have had no hope of seeing who it was now. His body had been destroyed in Bellatrix's bout of anger and was a clear sign to Draco it was not yet safe to approach.</p><p>"None of them," she snarled, not looking up at Draco. "Not a single spy, yet there is one."</p><p>"And the commander?" he asked. "Do you think it was him?"</p><p>As if the words had been triggering, Bellatrix sent the commander's body up in flames and turned her eyes on Draco.</p><p>"We'll find out," she replied and Draco did not like that sound of it. "Spread a rumour, something that will require the Order to act if they hear about it. If the Order doesn't act, we'll have the problem taken care of."</p><p>"And if the Order does?" Draco asked. His aunt looked away from him and Draco saw her eyeing the Death Eaters that still floated across the square, preparing for the executions he'd be making in just hours.</p><p>"Then we'll know there's another spy."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0023"><h2>23. Chapter 23</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione saw the paper before she saw Draco. She'd seen the image of him standing in a market square, his wand leveled at a middle-aged woman with bodies surrounding him. It hadn't been the greatest thing to find lying on the table when she walked in for a meeting with Kingsley, but she'd known it was coming. He'd warned her of it, but it was still upsetting to see first thing in the morning.</p><p>"The attack on France was successful," Kingsley announced to the small group. Moody grunted beside her, but Hermione didn't take her eyes off the paper. "Switzerland fell, but our intel shows that with a foothold in France, we should be able to take back at least the eastern portion. We'll be sending more troops out to meet our team in France so some can return and help take back Switzerland."</p><p>"We let Lestrange and Malfoy take Switzerland in an attempt to seize some small bases on the French coast. What good is that going to do us?" Moody asked accusingly. Several other people nodded in agreement and Hermione kept herself from arguing.</p><p>"Intel shows it's a way through Switzerland," Kingsley answered calmly. His eyes paused on Hermione, but she stayed silent. "With Lestrange focused on taking the Swiss Ministry, we were able to gain back control of the channel. We've already got Bill Weasley organising an underground rebellion in France that seems to be doing well. Once we have France back in our control, we can—"</p><p>"Look, we've all accepted your mysterious intel for quite some time," Moody interrupted. Hermione sighed and leaned back in her seat as Moody snapped at Kingsley. "Unless you start telling us how you're getting it, I'm going to start bringing in some of my own."</p><p>"Alastair—"</p><p>"Moody's right," McGonagall said, glancing at him. "We've trusted you this far, Kingsley, but we can't win this war if we don't know where our orders are coming from."</p><p>Kingsley pursed his lips and Hermione fiddled with the edges of the <em>Daily</em> <em>Prophet</em> paper. She stared down at the image of Draco casting a spell on repeat, frowning slightly to herself. The room stayed silent and it wasn't until Hermione glanced up to see Kingsley staring at her that she realised he was waiting on her to explain where the intel was coming from. Draco's fear about what would happen if word got out to the Order about a second spy returned and she frowned deeper.</p><p>"Hermione has been in contact with a second spy," Kingsley said, giving up on waiting for her. Hermione froze and she could have sworn Draco's photo turned to look at her.</p><p>"A second spy?" someone asked. Hermione couldn't be bothered to figure out who had spoken as she was too busy scowling at Kingsley.</p><p>"Severus was receiving much of his information from another within Riddle's ranks and shortly before his death, he arranged for Hermione to be his primary contact," Kingsley explained. Whispers spurted around them, but Kingsley quickly silenced them so he could continue. "Each week, we receive information on anticipated attacks and battle strategies. It was with this information we learned the opening in Switzerland was a trap and instead, we should target France."</p><p>"Who's the spy?" Moody demanded, looking from Kingsley to Hermione when Kingsley wouldn't answer. Hermione kept her mouth firmly closed, so he looked back at Kingsley for an answer.</p><p>"Hermione is the only one who knows the identity of the spy," Kingsley answered. "For their own safety and to prevent word from spreading, we've gone to great lengths to keep this a secret. I trust this conversation will not leave this tent."</p><p>"How can we trust someone who won't share their identity?" George Weasley asked. Hermione looked up, not having seen him come in at the beginning and having been too distracted by the <em>Daily</em> <em>Prophet</em> to notice him until now. "It could be anyone."</p><p>"You can trust me, George," Hermione said. He glanced at her and she nodded. "The arrangement has been in place since Snape's death and we've received nothing but reliable information."</p><p>"So we can trust him now," George ceded, though he looked apprehensive. "But what happens at the end of the War? Anyone could claim to be the spy."</p><p>"Kingsley has sworn to believe my word just like I've sworn to reveal only the real spy," she informed them all. "No one will be granted immunity by accident."</p><p>"And if you're killed?" Moody accused.</p><p>Hermione turned to glare at him but before the meeting could disband into petty arguments, Kingsley called for everyone's attention.</p><p>"The point is," he said, snapping at Hermione when she continued to glare at Moody. "We have someone feeding us trusted information. Hermione's done great work keeping the contact in line and we haven't had any suspicion. If word gets out about this though, the Death Eaters will start to search their ranks again and we risk losing what leverage we have."</p><p>"The secret is safe here," McGonagall assured him. While Hermione felt like she could believe her, the way George was glancing warily around the room and Moody's grumbling didn't reassure her.</p><p>"I want Unbreakable Vows," Hermione announced. Everyone looked at her in various states of shock and confusion, but she didn't back down. "I've worked hard to keep his identity a secret and I don't want rumours to ruin it. You'll all make an Unbreakable Vow right here that you won't breathe a word."</p><p>"And in return? What will you swear?" Moody asked.</p><p>"That I won't lie when I reveal his identity at the end."</p><hr/><p>Hermione left for Grimmauld Place the second she finished the meeting. Draco had written her just before, telling her he'd returned from Switzerland and they needed to speak. Since she'd known about the meeting with the Order before, she'd made sure he knew she couldn't make it until later that morning. The first thing she'd done when she left the tent was write back to Draco and apparate straight out of the camp.</p><p>She arrived minutes before Draco did and as soon as she heard the crack of his apparation, she followed the sound into the dining hall. While she'd wondered why he'd written and asked to meet in the morning, she did not expect him to appear so disheveled and exhausted. The slight bags under his eyes hadn't been prevalent in the photo in the <em>Prophet</em>, but she had the feeling they were not new.</p><p>"What happened?" she asked worriedly. Had the <em>Prophet</em> kept some details about Switzerland a secret? It wouldn't be the first time she supposed, but she hoped that wasn't the case.</p><p>"My aunt knows there's a spy," he told her. He dropped a trunk behind him and Hermione frowned. Had he only just gotten back from Switzerland? "When the Order didn't take the bait on the northern border, she killed everyone who'd been there. She interrogated them all and when none failed, she started a rumour that she hopes will get back to the Order."</p><p>"Do you know what it is? The rumour?" she asked. Draco nodded. "Then we're okay. It's okay."</p><p>"She'll always be suspicious," Draco replied, shaking his head in disagreement. "I don't think she truly thought the commander could be the spy, so there will always be someone looking."</p><p>Hermione bit her lip, debating whether or not to tell him what had happened in the morning. Obviously if the Order spread word about a spy, that would only confirm Bellatrix's suspicions and then Draco would really be in trouble. She'd handled it though, hadn't she? The Unbreakable Vows would prevent anyone from even whispering about it. Nevertheless...</p><p>"There's something you should probably know," she said. She could follow it up with the good news about her research if he let her, she decided. "The Order knows there's a spy as well."</p><p>"They—Fucking how?" Draco asked, taking a deep breath.</p><p>"Moody started questioning Kingsley's intel and he told them," Hermione grumbled, getting upset about it once again as well. Looking up at Draco, she said, "They all made Unbreakable Vows so there's no way word will get out, but I thought you should know that more people know."</p><p>Draco nodded stiffly and she could see him swallow down his anger.</p><p>"And they know who I am?" he asked. Hermione shook her head quickly, grabbing Draco's hand before she really realised what she was doing.</p><p>"No, I didn't tell them," she swore. They wouldn't know until the day the Order won the war and she had Kingsley publicly swear to grant him immunity before she revealed his identity. "They know there's a spy we get information from, but the only person they know directly involved is me."</p><p>"That's not good either, Granger," Draco told her bitterly. "If word gets out you're collaborating with a spy, you become Britain's most wanted even without Potter as a friend."</p><p>"Well, I'm pretty well cooped up between being banned from the battlefield and only leaving the Order to meet you," Hermione reminded him. Draco hummed and she took that to mean he wasn't going to rip Kingsley from limb to limb, so she changed the subject. "I think I've developed a solution for getting through the wards."</p><p>Draco looked at her with what she assumed was surprise, though she could have sworn he almost looked proud of her too. She smiled.</p><p>"I tested it on a squirrel and sent it into the area I had warded off," she explained. After a few changes to the potion, nothing had happened when the squirrel was dropped into the area. "It only lasts an hour so I can't wait around like last time—" She gave him a pointed look and he smirked. "—but I can certainly apparate in without triggering any wards. After an hour, even my presence in the building will trigger the wards."</p><p>"You'll be out before then," Draco promised. He squeezed her hand and she glanced down, not having remembered grabbing his hand. "There's a revel tonight I have to attend. Two days from now, I believe Mulciber will have his next sale."</p><p>"I'll be ready," she said. The potion was already finished, but she would need to look into a portkey for short distance travel. There was no way she could apparate all the captives at once and with the anti-apparation wards, she could get in with Draco, but not on her own.</p><p>They parted ways shortly after that. Draco admitted he had yet to return to the Manor and unpack his trunk while Hermione still had things to do at the Order. She made a mental note to look into a portkey then made her way to the medical tent. With a little luck, there was a way she could get her hands on a portkey without involving anyone else but if not, she'd have to brew another batch of the potion to give to the captives and hope there were a few wands she could snag on her way in. Whatever the outcome, she'd need to prepare for the worst and unfortunately, that probably involved telling Harry just where he could find the Order's spy if anything went poorly.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0024"><h2>24. Chapter 24</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Grimmauld Place?" Harry whispered. Hermione nodded. "You've been meeting a Death Eater at Grimmauld Place?"</p><p>"Yes, that is what I said, Harry," she hissed, growing slightly annoyed with the fact that Harry couldn't seem to let that go. "You can't tell a soul. The only reason I told you is because there's a chance we'll get caught tomorrow night and I need someone to continue the contact if that's the case."</p><p>"If that's the case, I'll curse his arse," Harry warned. Hermione rolled her eyes and gave him a stern look. "Fine," he agreed. "I'll keep your secret. But if you go missing for more than a day, I'll take him to Kingsley myself and demand answers."</p><p>"No, Kingsley will imprison him on sight," Hermione reminded him. Harry groaned and dropped his head to the table. "All I need you to do is act as a point of contact between him and Kingsley. Whatever happens, I'll be fine. It's just a precaution."</p><p>"This is a war, Hermione," Harry said, looking at her worriedly. "Who knows what will happen if you're caught in the midst of Death Eaters?"</p><p>Hermione grimaced as that was something she was very actively trying <em>not</em> to think about. She wanted to believe things would be okay, but she had yet to successfully get a portkey and she and Draco were leaving tomorrow night. Granted, two days was never enough time to begin with, but at least she had a fairly large supply of the potions to give to each of the captives.</p><p>"Just promise you'll take care of it for me?" Hermione asked. Harry didn't look pleased about it, but he nodded.</p><p>"But if you disappear—"</p><p>"Harry!" Hermione exclaimed exasperatedly. "Honestly, we have it perfectly under control!"</p><p>"Fine," Harry grumbled. He slumped in his chair and took a bite of his potatoes. With a frown, he turned his attention down to his potatoes and said, "When was the last time we had something other than potatoes for dinner? Do you think if I turned myself over to the Death Eaters I would get something else?"</p><p>Hermione just rolled her eyes and finished her own potatoes before Harry could convince her the kitchen staff were just transfiguring the food out of twigs or dead rats somehow. The last thing she wanted was to not be able to finish her dinner.</p><hr/><p>Hermione spent her morning in the medical wing if only to give herself something to do other than think about what she'd be doing that night. She'd tested the potion so she knew it worked, but there were so many factors that were unaccounted for. While she trusted Draco and he'd shown her before he knew how to analyze wards without triggering them, she hadn't been there to see the results herself and had based all her research off of his own. If one of them missed something, they'd be discovered almost immediately and Hermione hated to think what that would mean.</p><p>Rather than spend the time wallowing in minor fears, though, Hermione made use of herself in the medical wing and brewed new potions for them when there was no work to be done. She left a pain potion bubbling while she went to get lunch and when she came back, it was ready to put into vials. After cleaning up from her morning potion work, she started on making new dittany cream. She pocketed what little the hospital had left just in case Draco needed it for the healing cut on his abdomen and was in the middle of crushing their remaining supply of dittany leaves when Padma approached her with a confused expression.</p><p>"Is everything okay?" Hermione asked, pausing her work to look up at Padma.</p><p>"Kingsley needs to talk with you," she said. Hermione frowned. "I passed him on my way from dinner and he said it's urgent."</p><p>"Dinner?" Hermione asked in surprise. She glanced at the tent flap and sure enough, it was dark outside. How she hadn't noticed, she wasn't sure.</p><p>"He seemed upset," Padma told her, shrugging slightly. "I can finish up that so you don't have to keep him waiting."</p><p>"Thank you, Padma," Hermione said, getting up from her seat. Padma sat down and resumed crushing the dittany while Hermione hurried to clean her hands and leave the tent.</p><p>She stopped by the main tent to get dinner before they stopped serving it and carried her plate with her to Kingsley's tent, eating along the way. She tried to think of what Kingsley could want, but nothing came to mind.</p><p>When she arrived at Kingsley's tent, she paused outside to finish eating then sent her plate back to be cleaned. She ducked inside the tent, expecting to see Kingsley waiting for her alone and was surprised to see Moody standing beside him.</p><p>"Miss Granger, this will be short," Kingsley said. Hermione didn't bother taking a seat with that intro but Kingsley seemed unsurprised. "I know Harry has been lying for you when you disappear and I know you haven't brought back intel after each meeting with our spy."</p><p>Hermione frowned at him and glanced at Moody, wondering why he was privilege to these meetings now. She got her answer mere seconds after she'd thought the question.</p><p>"Alastair will be taking over contact with the spy," Kingsley announced. Hermione snorted, knowing full well how Draco would react if Moody of all people appeared at Grimmauld Place. "This is no laughing matter, Hermione," Kingsley said sharply, but that didn't wipe the small smirk off Hermione's face. "You've been colluding with the spy for your own agenda even after I explicitly told you not to. I know you were the one who destroyed Bristol and I know it was you who first destroyed the Death Eater base that attacked us at Dortmouth."</p><p>Hermione felt cold and her smirk dropped, something that did not go unnoticed by Kingsley or Moody.</p><p>"That's right. You're not as sly as you thought," Moody said. Hermione sneered at him and crossed her arms, looking back at Kingsley as he continued.</p><p>"Effective immediately, you are no longer welcome in the Order," Kingsley told her. Hermione's jaw tightened in an effort not to let it drop. "Your consistent use of the dark arts was worry enough, but conspiring with a spy and disobeying direct orders was the last wand. I am sorry to do this to you, but you've forced my hand."</p><p>For what it was worth, Kingsley did look disappointed but it wasn't enough to keep Hermione's lip from curling at the news, a trait she swore she'd kill Draco for passing on to her.</p><p>"You need me," she reminded him. "Without me, the Order has no potionier or contact with your spy. Those attacks on Death Eater bases gave the Order a step above every time and without them, we'd still be scrambling to stay alive."</p><p>"Alastair will be taking over your duty as contact," Kingsley repeated. Hermione refused and he glared at her. "He will," he insisted, raising his voice slightly. "As for potionier, I'm sure Minerva has someone in mind who is just as skilled—"</p><p>"No one matches my skill," Hermione snapped. Kingsley took a deep breath and Hermione knew he was struggling with this. "You'll keep me in the Order and I'll continue to ensure your success."</p><p>"You've undermined the Order using dark magic!" Kingsley yelled. Hermione recoiled and Kingsley sighed. "I know I've been cross in the past, but I warned you that disobeying orders and experimenting with dark arts was strictly forbidden. If I turn the other way, others will do the same."</p><p>"Good," Hermione said shortly. "The Order won't win without more powerful—"</p><p>"We've already taken back France and Spain by connection," Kingsley told her. Hermione frowned, wondering why she hadn't been told this. "Weasley's underground movement took care of it quickly. With Alastair getting specific information on Switzerland from the spy, we can move forward and take back more of Europe without the use of dark magic."</p><p>"Harry won't allow it," Hermione said. In fact, she knew for a fact that Harry would throw the biggest fit if he found out Kingsley had expelled her from the Order. "If you don't have Harry in agreement with you, the Order will split and we'll lose the war. The only way to ensure he stays is if I stay."</p><p>"I'll take care of Potter," Kingsley promised. "You'll be transferred to a different base if he asks and seeing as owls are too dangerous to use these days, I suspect you won't be contacting him."</p><p>"I'll tell him right now," Hermione threatened. "I'll tell the Weasleys too and your Order will disappear before your very eyes."</p><p>Kingsley narrowed his eyes at her and Hermione glared in return. After several seconds of silence, Kingsley leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.</p><p>"Fine," he agreed shortly. He tapped his fingers on the table as he said, "But there will be more restrictions than you'll like."</p><p>"We'll see," Hermione hummed. Kingsley's eyes narrowed again and beside him, Moody grumbled under his breath. Hermione sent him a sharp look but he was unfazed.</p><p>"You will not leave the camp grounds."</p><p>"I will continue to be the Order's primary contact with our spy," Hermione objected. That, she was absolutely not going to let change. "If anyone else shows up, he will never come again and you'll lose him."</p><p>"Alastair will go with you," Kingsley argued. Hermione shook her head. "You can't be trusted going alone anymore," Kingsley reminded her sternly. "Alastair will go with you."</p><p>"Harry," she argued back. Kingsley took in a long breath but Hermione didn't let up. "Harry or no one."</p><p>"Fine," he hissed, glaring fiercely. Moody muttered something about letting Hermione lead the Order if Kingsley wouldn't enforce obedience with her and Kingsley sent him out. "You're clearly not involved anymore, Alastair. Leave."</p><p>With a grunt and one final glare at Hermione, Moody left the tent and it was just her and Kingsley.</p><p>"I will allow you to continue your work in the medical wing and remain in contact with the spy," Kingsley conceded. "However, I expect you to tell me each day before you leave and you will bring back information every time. Wards will be added so if you are gone more than an hour, you'll be unable to return and expelled from the Order."</p><p>"That's absurd, Kingsley," Hermione argued. Now that it was just her and Kingsley, she wanted to see how much of this had been Moody's idea. "I'm an important member of the Order and restrictions will only limit my work. I know you've seen how well the attacks on Death Eater bases have been. Let me keep going."</p><p>"My hands are tied, Hermione," Kingsley said, holding up his hands in defeat. "The wards will be put in place within the hour. I warned you of the consequences and I cannot let up anymore. Those are my terms."</p><p>Hermione bit her lip and nodded. If it weren't for the fact she wouldn't be allowed back after an hour of being gone, she would continue as normal. As it was, she was about to break the restrictions in less than three hours of them being put in place.</p><p>"Harry will remain my contact," Hermione told him. Kingsley frowned in confusion. "I'll be leaving tonight and you can expect me to not return."</p><p>"When the war ends, if you can prove you have not been using dark magic or colluding with the enemy, we will welcome you back," Kingsley informed her. Hermione didn't particularly care whether the Order held her side or not. "I had high hopes for you when you became the Order's contact with a second spy, but I will admit I don't feel like I can trust you anymore."</p><p>"Unfortunately," Hermione said, not meaning it in the slightest. "I don't feel that I can trust you either, Kingsley."</p><p>She turned and left the tent without another word, returning to her tent to find Ron, Harry, and Ginny just getting back as well. Not interrupting their conversation, she climbed onto her bunk and stuffed the book on wards into her satchel. She tucked the potion vials into the pocket of her cloak and unpacked her few clothes from the tent dresser to put into her satchel.</p><p>"Are you leaving again?" Ginny asked, watching her work. Hermione glanced up and bit her lip.</p><p>"Kingsley has expelled me from the Order," she announced. From across the tent, she heard Harry and Ron abruptly stop their conversation and turned to her.</p><p>"What?"</p><p>Hermione grimaced at the question and nodded. She hung her cloak on the corner of her bunk and put her satchel over it. Sitting down beside Ginny on the floor, she gave a very brief overview of the conversation with Kingsley and Moody she'd just come from.</p><p>"I've been in contact with a spy for the Order," she explained to Ginny and Ron. She held up her hand to stop them when they started to ask questions. "I've also been running personal missions with said spy against Kingsley's orders. He's placed unreasonable restrictions on my movements, so I'll be leaving tonight for Grimmauld Place."</p><p>"You're staying there alone?" Ron asked. Hermione shook her head, paused, and then nodded. Ron gave her a look and she sighed.</p><p>"I'll be alone, yes, but I'll continue to meet with the Order's spy and relay information back here," she promised. She looked at Harry and said, "Kingsley agreed to let you be my contact, so any potion work I do or intel I receive, you'll have to take back to Kingsley."</p><p>"You're being expelled for running missions? That's barmy!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione gave him an awkward smile and shifted slightly.</p><p>"I've also been using dark arts in some of my work and ever since I used that <em>avada</em> on the field, Kingsley has been trying to find a reason to expel me," she explained. Ron, although looking shocked, still grumbled about how that was stupid. Hermione smiled. "I appreciate the sentiment, but I still have to leave."</p><p>"We'll visit every day," Ginny promised, grabbing her hand tightly. "You'll get lonely there alone and who knows what the Death Eater spy will do when he learns you're there alone."</p><p>"I'm not worried about him, Gin," Hermione assured her. She told them about her mission that night and that she'd be back early in the morning. "I'll likely sleep late, so if you do come, bring me lunch."</p><p>"It'll be potatoes," Harry said. Hermione rolled her eyes. Potatoes were better than no food at all.</p><p>"I promise I'll be okay," Hermione said, making sure they all understood that Grimmauld Place was perfectly safe. "Snape was the secret keeper so the only ones who can visit are those who he told. Luckily, that's just the Order and no one else knows where I'll be."</p><p>"I bet Kingsley thinks Grimmauld Place is abandoned," Ron snickered. He quickly sobered up though. "If you need anything, send a patronus."</p><p>"Of course," Hermoine promised. She hugged them all, making them promise to keep her updated on anything that happened within the Order and to send her regular battle plans so she knew where they would be. "Don't cause a rift in the Order. I know Kingsley is the one who sent me away, but you need to keep the Order together or we'll lose."</p><p>"I can't promise I won't hex him," Ginny admitted and Ron snickered again.</p><p>With one final goodbye and another round of hugs, Hermione disapparated with her cloak and satchel and dropped into the dining room of Grimmauld Place.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0025"><h2>25. Chapter 25</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There was still almost two hours until Draco would arrive, so Hermione went back up to the Black library and searched for something to keep her distracted. She left her satchel in her old room, not in the mood to unpack it just yet, and made her way back downstairs to the old sitting room.</p><p>When she was startled out of her reading by a loud <em>crack</em>, she hastily looked around for a clock. Draco was early, but she still set aside her book and walked into the entryway to meet him. He frowned when he saw her there early as well and she shrugged.</p><p>"It's a story for another time," she said. Draco didn't need to know Kingsley had forced her out of the Order just yet. When they returned to Grimmauld Place and she didn't leave, she'd tell him then.</p><p>"Do you have the potion?" he asked. Hermione nodded and pulled one vial out of her magically enlarged pockets. "Have you taken it yet?"</p><p>"No, I was going to in just a few minutes, then you arrived," she explained. Draco shrugged and watched as she uncapped the vial and swallowed the potion in one gulp. "I have extras for the captives as well. We'll apparate out and once I've ensured they all find an Order safe house, I'll meet you back here."</p><p>"No portkey?" Draco asked. Hermione shook her head. "That's unfortunate. You're sure you'll have enough wands to apparate? You can't take all of them at once."</p><p>"I'm sure," she said, despite the fact that she wasn't. There had only been a few Death Eaters at the last place and she would need a couple more wands if everyone were to apparate, but with a little luck, a few could take more than one person when they apparated. "Any idea how many there will be this time?"</p><p>"No, but quite possibly just as many as last time," Draco told her. Hermione nodded. If that was the case, she could take four or five at once and they would be able to get out easily. "Don't plan on returning, though."</p><p>"I wasn't," she assured him. The room fell silent for a few seconds before Draco held out his hand to her. "Isn't it a little early to go?"</p><p>"The revel started over an hour ago, Granger," he said, a small smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm sure fifteen minutes ahead of schedule won't hurt us."</p><p>Hermione took his hand and he laced his fingers through hers tightly.  She took another step forward and a second later, she was being pulled away by the hook in her bellybutton. When the sensation wore off and she realised they'd arrived successfully, she turned to Draco with a grin. He looked at her in amusant.</p><p>"Didn't think it would work, Granger?" he teased. Hermione rolled her eyes at him and he squeezed her hand.</p><p>"Didn't want to hope," she answered. She looked around the room they had apparated into, wondering how she'd get to the dungeons from where they were.</p><p>"Just outside the door and to the right is a stairwell. It leads right into the dungeons," he told her. He released her hand and took a step back. "I have to make my appearance. Don't take risks, Granger."</p><p>"Only the necessary ones," she said. He gave her a look and she smiled. "Go. I'll meet you at Grimmauld Place in an hour."</p><p>Draco nodded and disapparated. Hermione waited impatiently for a few minutes before taking a deep breath, pulling the hood of her cloak over her braided hair, and peering out the door. When she was met with a completely empty hallway, she slipped out and to the stairwell Draco told her about. She double checked to make sure the potion vials were in her pocket before pulling out her wand and hurrying down the stairs.</p><p>The first Death Eater she encountered was taken care of quickly. She sliced his throat before he'd even looked at her and after taking his wand, she placed a disillusionment charm on the body and continued forward. She continued down the stairs and pressed herself against the wall when she heard two pairs of footsteps coming around the corner.</p><p>"I think Lestrange is crazy for thinking there's still a spy," one Death Eater grumbled. Hermione smiled to herself. "We took care of that problem with the display we made of Severus."</p><p>"The trap was perfect though," the other one argued. Their voices were closer now and Hermione prepared to cast two curses as they rounded the corner. "If there wasn't a spy, then how—" They saw her the moment she saw them, but Hermione was more prepared.</p><p>She slit the first one's throat before he could open his mouth to yell. The second one cast a jet of green light that she barely dodged, but she returned the curse shortly after and he fell. She snatched up the two wards and raced off in the direction they'd come from, assuming that was where the dungeon cells were.</p><p>She skidded to a halt as she came face to face with a cell full of children that were clearly still in Hogwarts. For a terrible moment, Hermione worried they wouldn't be able to apparate. Her thoughts were shoved aside when one of the little girls screamed and a curse hit Hermione in the back.</p><p>The <em>crucio</em> tore through her body like a wolf and she bit through her lip trying not to scream. Against her will, her body collapsed and she struggled to keep a hold of her wand. The second the pain let up, she whipped around and immobilised the person who cursed her. Her muscles protested at the sudden motion, but adrenaline pushed her forward.</p><p>"Are there any others?" she asked the children. They nodded and pointed down the hall. Hermione glanced in that direction then back to the kids. "Can any of you apparate?"</p><p>Four children nodded and while Hermione wanted to ask how, she didn't have time. She tore the wand out of the hand of the Death Eater that attacked her and blasted open the cell door. Seven children ran out and she handed the wands to the four that had assured her they could apparate.</p><p>"Take this potion," she instructed them, handing out seven of the twelve vials she'd grabbed. She was suddenly very glad she'd sent a notice to McGonagall, saying to meet her at Hogwarts that evening. "It will allow you to apparate out without triggering any wards. All of you are to go to Hogwarts where a member of the Order will meet you."</p><p>"What about you, Hermione?" one of them asked.</p><p>"I have to get the others," she said, glancing again down the hall. "I'll be there soon, though."</p><p>Once all seven had drunk the potion, she watched them break off into pairs and apparate to Hogwarts. After the last kid disappeared, she ran down the hall in search of the second cell. Unlike the first cell, the second was located in the far corner and Hermione could see three Death Eaters guarding it.</p><p>The first curse she cast alerted them to her presence, but effectively killed one of them. She ducked around the corner as spells raced toward her, pressing herself against the wall and waiting for them to cease. Without looking, she pointed her wand around the corner and cast three <em>avada</em> curses. With a little luck, at least one of them would hit a guard.</p><p>It was silent for several seconds after, so Hermione poked her head around the corner. Immediately, the two remaining Death Eaters sent curses at her and she hid again. She cast a strong shield before peeking around again and slit the throat of one before her shield splintered. When she raised her wand to kill the second, her hand trembled and she paused. The distraction allowed the last Death Eater to get a curse eerily close to her ear and she dropped to the ground to avoid it. Raising her wand again, Hermione focused hard on keeping her hand steady even as phantom pains from her earlier <em>crucio</em> coursed through her fingertips. She killed the last Death Eater quickly then jumped to her feet.</p><p>Arriving in front of the cell, Hermione paused. There were only eight captives inside, but not many of them looked like they were in a condition to apparate. She also didn't have enough potions for them and as soon as they left, the wards would be triggered.</p><p>"Are you here to rescue us?" a girl asked. Hermione nodded and pushed aside her worries so she could destroy the cell door. A few of the captives screamed in surprise and Hermione cursed under her breath.</p><p>"They'll come if you don't stay quiet," she warned. She blasted the cell door again and it broke apart. Hurrying everyone through, she gathered the three wands in front of her and handed them to those who looked the strongest. "Apparate straight to Hogwarts. The other children are there too, waiting for a member of the Order."</p><p>"There are wards to prevent apparation," a young boy piped up. "I heard them talking."</p><p>"You'll be able to get out, but not back in," she corrected. She pulled out the remaining vials of potion and handed them to as many as she could. "It's so as not to trigger the wards. We'll have to move quickly though. Can anyone do side along apparation?"</p><p>A few people nodded. After making sure four were paired off, she grabbed hold of the remaining four captives. When the first pair disapparated, however, Hermione felt the wards around her ripple and her chest dropped at the sound of footsteps racing through the hallway.</p><p>"Hurry," she ordered.</p><p>Behind them, the footsteps raced forward and Hermione saw two of the captives collapse in front of her. One managed to apparate, but when Hermione tried to put up a shield and order the rest of them to go, a shout sounded behind her and two girls screamed. She turned around to face the attackers, but before she could raise her wand, two curses hit her in the chest.</p><p>Gasping at the force of a double <em>crucio</em>, Hermione dropped her wand and fell to her knees. Her body was still spasming from the curse she'd received earlier, but the pain was magnified as two Death Eaters kept the curse on her. Her lip was already split from biting through it before and she couldn't stop the scream that tore through her throat no matter how hard she tried.</p><p>"It's Granger!" a Death Eater yelled. The group surged forward and Hermione strained for her wand only for it to be kicked out of her reach.</p><p>"Someone call Mulciber!"</p><p>Hermione began to panic. Around her, the remaining captives were immobilised and shoved to the ground whereas Hermione was pulled to her feet. She was trembling from the after effects of the three <em>crucio</em> curses she'd received and her body screamed in protest when she tried to pull away from whoever had grabbed her.</p><p>"I should have known it was you, bitch," the Death Eater holding her sneered. He held her arm tightly and twisted his fingers into her braid, forcing her head back to look at him. "You'll pay for what you've done," Rookwood taunted, and while Hermione knew that was likely true, she didn't stop herself from spitting in his face.</p><p>He roared in anger and tossed her against the cold wall. His hand locked around her throat and he brought his wand up to her forehead. Without so much as muttering the word, Hermione felt yet another <em>crucio</em> tear through her body and she screamed.</p><p>"Rookwood!"</p><p>The curse ceased almost as suddenly as it had begun but the hand around her throat did not waver even as Rookwood turned to see who had called his name. Hermione gasped for air, clawing at Rookwood's hand and channeling all the magic she could after being <em>crucio</em>'d four times. Although her head pounded and her hands were shaking, Hermione stunned Rookwood and he released her throat.</p><p>Knowing she had little time before she was cursed again, she reached into her robes and grabbed the notebook Draco had given her. There was no way she was escaping now, but if they searched her and found that notebook, it would clearly reveal Draco was a spy. That was not something she was going to let happen.</p><p>She ducked a curse thrown at her and with the weak little magic she could summon, lit the notebook on fire. It incinerated quickly and Hermione let the ashes fall through her fingers and into her pocket.</p><p>Her relief at destroying the notebook was short-lived as she was promptly immobilised and pulled backward by an unknown Death Eater. She watched Mulciber remove her spell on Rookwood then turn to look at her. Behind him, the remaining captives were being shoved back into a cell and the wands they held were broken and tossed to the side. Hermione, however, was kept out and held back by a Death Eater she still hadn't been able to identify.</p><p>"You're the bitch from the Order that ruined my last sale," Mulciber sneered. Rookwood spit at her and Hermione felt it hit her shoulder.</p><p>"People aren't things to be sold," Hermione sneered in return.</p><p>"Mudbloods aren't what we would call 'people'," Mulciber replied. He reached forward and grabbed her face, encroaching on her personal space and forcing her eyes up at him. "I've done well enough with the scraps I've encountered, but how much do you think I'd get paid for Potter's Golden Girl?"</p><p>"Fuck off," Hermione said. Though her words were unclear with the way Mulciber was holding her face, she knew he understood her.</p><p>"Take her wand and put her in the cell at the very end," Mulciber instructed, releasing his hold on her. He stepped back and told the Death Eaters around her, "We'll continue with the slaves we have left and tomorrow we'll deal with this one."</p><p>Someone grabbed her arm and, without removing the immobilisation spell, started dragging her to a cell. Hermione felt her knees scrap on the ground and her jeans dug into her hip, but she didn't say anything. It wasn't until she was tossed into a cell that she was released from the spell. The cell door was locked securely before she could even attempt to escape, though, and she contented herself with glaring at the Death Eater's retreating back.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0026"><h2>26. Chapter 26</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>There will be no update tomorrow. The next update will be on Sunday instead, so there will still be two updates, the days are just a little switched up. </p><p>Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Draco had felt it the second the wards were triggered, but he'd stayed seated beside Crabbe and acted indifferent. Some others had started whispering, clearly having sensed the shift as well but most everyone continued on as usual. He'd been suspicious when he saw Mulciber disappear with Avery, but he'd appeared not much later and announced the beginning of their sale. If the wards hadn't hinted to him that something was wrong, Mulciber's announcement definitely had. Hermione was supposed to get all the slaves out before triggering the wards, but Draco didn't have time to question it before five people were dragged on stage and the bidding began.</p><p>As promised, Draco apparated straight to Grimmauld Place as soon as he could. The house was empty, but he stayed put. He waited impatiently for upwards of an hour before realising Hermione was not going to show. It took time to ensure each rescued slave was safely taken to the Order, but she'd had two hours before he arrived to get it sorted out. Surely she knew he'd be worried, right?</p><p>Pulling out his notebook to write her, Draco froze. The only thing in his pocket was ashes. They weren't warm and they crumbled into dust the second he touched them, so he knew the notebook had been like that for a while.</p><p>"No," he breathed. He frantically pulled out a handful of ashes and looked down at it with wide eyes. "No, no, no."</p><p>Hermione was smart. If she'd burned the notebook, it meant she'd been caught or at least worried she was about to be. Draco hadn't even told her to burn the notebook, so she'd thought of it on her own. Had she known his would burn too? It was unlikely.</p><p>"Granger!" he yelled, turning around in case she'd just been hiding. It would be the worst game he'd ever played if she'd been hiding from him, but he would prefer it over the fear that was rapidly taking over. "Granger, come out!"</p><p>Nothing moved and Draco cursed, sending the dining hall table up in flames. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of what to do. Instead, his mind raced with possibilities as to what was happening to Hermione at that moment and he couldn't focus.</p><p>"Fucking—Stop!" he screamed at himself. The house echoed silence back and he panted heavily. His mind went silent and he just stood there, staring around the room he'd so often visited to see Hermione.</p><p><em>Okay</em>, he thought to himself, straightening his shoulders. <em>Safehouses. I can find one and ask—Fuck, no, they'll turn me in. A note? Shacklebolt would never believe it.</em></p><p>His thoughts continued to race, trying to decide what to do. He knew he couldn't contact the Order without Hermione because he'd made sure the Order couldn't contact him without her. Fuck, that was proving to be a mistake right now. Someone would notice she was gone without him saying anything, that much was certain. Unfortunately, no one would know where she was or where she'd gone.</p><p>"Potter!" Draco exclaimed, suddenly remembering that she'd told him what she was doing.</p><p>All too soon, he realised Potter probably didn't know where they met. He'd likely be unable to get to Grimmauld Place as well, seeing as Severus had been the only secret keeper that he knew of.</p><p>Draco stayed at Grimmauld Place all night, trying to figure out what to do and hoping she'd appear late. If she didn't arrive within 24 hours, he'd know for certain she'd been caught. Until then, he'd stay put on the off chance she simply forgot or was too exhausted to apparate right after. That didn't stop him from trying to piece together what had happened, though.</p><p>He roamed Grimmauld Place several times, searching every room for any hint that she was coming back. When he found her satchel in a bedroom, he frowned and spent over an hour searching the room. He took her satchel back downstairs with him and went through it. He pulled out clothes and his frown deepened. Had she been planning on traveling somewhere or did she always keep clothes in the bag? He couldn't remember encountering the clothing when he'd used the bag once before, but he had been pretty focused on summoning the bombs quickly.</p><p>Draco was pretty sure he hallucinated it when he heard a loud <em>crack</em> echo through the house as he was searching through Hermione's bag. He still jumped up and looked toward the direction the sound had come from, preparing to be disappointed.</p><p>"What the fuck?" he demanded, staring at Harry Potter as he walked around the corner.</p><p>"It's fucking you?" Potter exclaimed, looking both irritated and disappointed to see Draco standing there. "I knew there was a reason she refused to tell me who it was. Of course it's you. Fantastic."</p><p>"Why the fuck are you here, Potter?" Draco snarled. The last thing he wanted was Potter running his mouth around the Order about who their spy was.</p><p>"Looking for Hermione," Potter snapped, glaring at Draco. His eyes caught on the bag Draco was holding and his hold on his wand tightened. "What have you done with her now?"</p><p>"Me?" Draco asked incredulously. "Hermione's been missing since last night. I've been waiting for her."</p><p>"At Grimmauld Place? With her bag?" Potter asked skeptically. Draco glared at him and dropped the satchel on his chair.</p><p>"I don't have to answer you," Draco said, crossing his arms.</p><p>"Fine," Potter said with a shrug. He raised his wand at Draco and said, "Then I'll just kill you."</p><p>"Do that and you'll never know where we went," Draco warned icily. Potter didn't look happy about it, but he lowered his wand. They glared at each other for several seconds, but Draco refused to be the first to crack.</p><p>"What happened last night? After she left the Order," Potter asked.</p><p>"We went to rescue muggleborns and blood traitors that Mulciber intended to auction off to Death Eaters," Draco explained.</p><p>He wasn't sure how much Potter knew, but he explained it all. He told him about the first time they'd gone and how afterward, they'd moved the sales to a different property. They'd both worked on determining what wards were used and once Hermione had created a potion to get her past them, they attended the next sale which had been last night.</p><p>"We parted once we got there—"</p><p>"You left her alone?" Harry asked angrily. Draco rolled his eyes. "In a manor full of Death Eaters, you left her alone?"</p><p>"Oh, fuck off. I'm angry about it too, Potter," Draco snapped. Potter glared harder at him and Draco's lip curled. "Do you want to hear the rest of it or just accuse me blindly?"</p><p>After a tense moment of silence, Potter grumbled, "Continue."</p><p>Draco did, though there wasn't much more he could tell. He'd felt when the wards were triggered and he'd seen Mulciber disappear. When they'd brought five slaves out, he'd known something was wrong but he couldn't do anything without looking suspicious.</p><p>"The Order breaks in and I go asking around?" Draco scoffed at the thought. "My aunt already knows there's a spy. That would have been the cap on the potion."</p><p>"Mulciber didn't say anything about a break in though?" Potter asked. Draco shook his head. He'd found that odd too, but not nearly as odd as the announcement of a special sale the very next night.</p><p>"They're usually several days apart," Draco explained. "Unless he's just tempting Hermione to return or the Order to try something, there's no reason to hold another so close."</p><p>"I don't like it," Potter grumbled. Draco didn't either, but he was not about to agree with Potter on something so obvious. "And you've been here all night?"</p><p>"Yes," Draco confirmed, telling him he'd stayed in case she arrived late. "This morning, I thought she might have returned to the Order to sleep first."</p><p>Potter shook his head with a frown, but it wasn't directed at Draco this time.</p><p>"No, she wouldn't have been able to," he said. Draco's eyes narrowed and he frowned in confusion. Potter noticed his confusion and frowned as well. "She didn't tell you?"</p><p>"Clearly not," Draco bit. Potter's eyes narrowed at him. "What?"</p><p>"She was expelled from the Order," Potter said. Draco stopped breathing for a second. "Kingsley's hand was forced when he found out she'd been running missions with you that weren't approved by him or the council. After she used the killing curse, he couldn't let her stay."</p><p>"What was her plan?" Draco asked. Surely she hadn't planned on roaming around on her own in hopes of not getting caught.</p><p>"Stay here," Potter said, gesturing to the house. "The Order stayed at Grimmauld Place years ago so we can get in, but no one knows it's in use. I would never have come here if she hadn't told me to meet her spy here if she didn't return."</p><p>Draco took a deep breath. She'd been expecting something to go wrong if she'd told Potter where and how to find him. If Potter was right and she'd been expelled from the Order as well, she would have returned here upon finishing with the rescued slaves. As much as Draco hated it, he had a feeling she had never actually left Newcastle.</p><p>"You've gotten quiet," Potter said, interrupting his thoughts. "What are you thinking about? How to kill me?"</p><p>"No," Draco drawled irritatedly. "Unlike you, I have bigger problems than whether someone's going to kill me."</p><p>Potter scowled and Draco smirked.</p><p>"We're both worried, so how about you stop being a prat and we can figure this out," Potter suggested bitterly. Draco was glad he didn't have to be the one to suggest it, so he nodded sharply to show he was in agreement. "Good," Potter grumbled. He stuffed his wand in his pocket then looked back up at Draco. "You were the one who was there so clearly you'll have the best plan. What do you suggest?"</p><p>Instead of making a biting comment about Potter asking for his help, Draco considered the idea that was beginning to form in his head.</p><p>"Everything points to her being held at Newcastle still," he said hesitantly. Potter didn't react so he continued. "You can't get in without triggering the wards, but I can get her out."</p><p>"And if you can't?" Potter asked. Draco scowled at the thought.</p><p>"I'll get her out," he insisted. Potter seemed to recognise the edge to his voice so he let it go. "My cover will be blown though. There's no way I get out with Hermione without it happening, so I'll need your cover."</p><p>"Of course," Potter agreed immediately. "You'll have Hermione's too. That is, if you can get her out—"</p><p>"I'll get her out!" Draco yelled, clenching his hands at his side. Potter's eyes widened and Draco inhaled sharply, closing his eyes so he wasn't tempted to curse him on sight. Still very tense, but making a point to not snap at Potter, Draco repeated calmly, "I will get her out, Potter. You don't have to worry about that."</p><p>He opened his eyes and glanced at him, not bothering to hide how upset the situation was making him. Potter gave him an unfamiliar look, but nodded. Refusing to sniffle as his nose started to tickle, Draco brought his hand up to his face and wiped his nose. He ignored the panic that had taken up residence in his chest so he could focus on making a plan and pursed his lips.</p><p>"Let's start over," Draco suggested tightly. He forced himself to unclench his fists and looked at Potter, squaring his shoulders as he said, "Hermione is missing, Potter, and I'm very worried."</p><p>"I'm—" Potter hesitated and took a second to roll his shoulders as well. He nodded to himself and looked back at Draco. "I'm worried too."</p><p>"I have a plan, but you'll need to trust me," he said. If Potter couldn't, they wouldn't be successful. "Newcastle is a fortress and the only reason Hermione and I got in was because she trusted me. Can you at least swear not to fight me every step of the way?"</p><p>"I can do that," Potter said after a pause. He gave Draco a wary look, though, and warned, "Just for this once. You're still not my favourite person and seeing as Hermione was with—" Potter cut himself off at the dangerous look Draco sent him. "What I mean is yes, I'll work with you this once. But after that, we go back to hating each other's guts."</p><p>"Obviously," Draco replied. Although he was still not a fan of Potter and the last thing he wanted was for anyone to learn they'd willingly worked together, he held out his hand. "Just this once."</p><p>Potter eyed him warily but stepped forward and shook his hand, agreeing with him.</p><p>"Just this once."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0027"><h2>27. Chapter 27</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This chapter does have a little bit of unwanted sexual touches. It's not graphic and not anything close to rape, but there are scenes where someone touches Hermione's breast or bum that she doesn't appreciate. Hermione will be safe and unharmed, but please mind your triggers.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione was left entirely alone for hours. She had no idea how much time passed and no one passed her cell to indicate if it had been a full day or just a couple of hours. The way her stomach growled told her that it had to be at least the next morning, but other than that, she had no indicator of time.</p>
<p>She hadn't even attempted to sleep, not wanting to risk being unaware of her surroundings when in a Death Eater's fortress. Every time she started to nod off, she fought it. Sometimes she'd just stand up whereas other times she would do jumping jacks or other exercises in her cell. At some point, though, she must have drifted off because she was jolted out of her light sleep by her cell door being opened.</p>
<p>"The Mudblood awakes," Mulciber grinned down at her. Rookwood was at his side, sneering at Hermione. She wanted to stand so they couldn't tower over her, but she didn't want either of them to think their presence was uncomfortable, so she stayed put. "It's time for you to get ready for your big night."</p>
<p>"I'll be staying here," Hermione informed him, relaxing against the hard wall to emphasize her point.</p>
<p>Without a word, Rookwood moved forward and yanked her to her feet. Her body groaned in protest and Hermione pulled her arm out of his grip. The <em>crucio</em> hit her before she'd fully pulled away and she cried out in pain. Rookwood tugged her back to her feet and her body went limp against his as the curse was lifted. He snickered, wrapping his arm around her chest and splaying his hand across her breast. Furious, she elbowed him as hard as she could in the chest and he coughed, letting her go. She managed not to collapse, but when Mulciber <em>crucio</em>'d her once again, she couldn't stop herself.</p>
<p>"Behave, bitch," Mulciber sneered. This time, it was Mulciber that pulled her to her feet and immobilised her. Rookwood rubbed his chest, sneering at Hermione.</p>
<p>"I hope you go to Dolohov," he snarled. Hermione didn't react as Mulciber levitated her out of her cell and down the hall.</p>
<p>They arrived at another cell and Mulciber released the spell over her. Unlike the others, this cell didn't have a door, but a row of what looked like showerheads.</p>
<p>"If I'm to sell you at full price, you'll be in prime condition," Mulciber said. He smirked at her and flicked on one of the shower heads with his wand. Rookwood snickered and Hermione glared at them both. "Get wet, Granger," Mulciber taunted.</p>
<p>Hermione didn't move. She refused to undress and shower with either of them watching her, so she stayed where she'd been put.</p>
<p>"Don't make me rip the clothes from you myself," Mulciber warned, his gaze darkening. Hermione still made no movement, so Mulciber raised his wand at her. She prepared herself for another <em>crucio</em>, but instead, he said, "<em>Evansco</em>."</p>
<p>Hermione gasped as her clothing vanished all at once. Rookwood hooted as she turned her back to them hastily. One of them snickered as she walked slowly toward the shower. The water was freezing, but the longer she delayed, the longer she'd stayed naked in front of two Death Eaters, so she hurried through her shower. She kept her back to Mulciber and Rookwood the entire time and when she was finished, she stepped backwards out of the water.</p>
<p>The water shut off, but Hermione still didn't turn around.</p>
<p>"Come get your dress, Mudblood," Mulciber ordered. Hermione glanced over her shoulder to see him holding folded clothes. She turned back to the wall. "Rookwood can help you if you want."</p>
<p>"Get out," Hermione snapped. Mulciber laughed and Rookwood hooted.</p>
<p>Behind her, she heard footsteps approaching but before she could turn her head, Rookwood grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn around. He thrust the folded clothes at her chest, letting his eyes rave her body. When he licked his lips and smirked at her, she sneered at him and turned back around to get dressed.</p>
<p>She was horrified but not entirely surprised to discover the dress she'd been given was hardly enough to cover anything. Even when she pulled it as far as she could, it barely covered her bum. The collar was so low she was worried if she turned strangely, it would uncover her chest. For once, she was glad she had a smaller chest than most girls. If her breasts had been any bigger, they would have spilt out uncomfortably.</p>
<p>"Fits just like I expected," Mulciber said when she turned back around. Rookwood grabbed her arm tightly and they took her back to her cell. "Show time's in an hour, bitch, so you'd better fix your hair by then," Mulciber said, letting the cell door slam shut behind her.</p>
<p>Hermione glared as they left. Once they were out of sight, she took her hair out of its braid and ran her fingers through her curls. If Mulciber was going to sell her as Hermione Granger, then he'd have to sell her with her wild curls and a sneer on her face. She wouldn't let him dress her up like some perfect pretty doll.</p>
<p>Fortunately, it was not Mulciber or Rookwood who came to escort her out of her cell. She didn't recognise either of the two young Death Eaters, but she didn't appreciate the leering looks they both gave her or the way one of them pinched her arse as she stepped out of her cell.</p>
<p>"Mulciber sure knows how to dress 'em up," one of them snickered.</p>
<p>Hermione stayed silent as she walked barefoot between them. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest and she felt her fingers twitch involuntarily as the two Death Eater boys pinched her arse and tugged on her long hair. She regretted leaving it down when one of them threaded his fingers through it and tugged, but it was too late now. The elastic she'd used earlier was in the cell and she was being led up a set of stairs that was sure to deposit her right onto Mulciber's stage.</p>
<p>"It's a pain you'll go for so much," the boy on her left said. "I'd have liked to have a go at that pretty arse."</p>
<p>"Fuck off," Hermione snapped, flashing her teeth at him and curling her lip.</p>
<p>"Oo, it's feisty!" he taunted. She glared at him as he waved his wand in front of her and warned, "Be careful. I might just have to <em>crucio</em> you and I'm sure you don't want to see how turned on your screams will make me."</p>
<p>Both of the boys snickered as they left her standing next to Rookwood behind a door. She kept her eyes on the handle, refusing to look at him as he locked heavy chains around her wrists and held onto the end.</p>
<p>"Everyone loves an obedient pet," he taunted, tugging on the chain. She stumbled forward and he snickered before opening the door in front of them.</p>
<p>Hermione's heart beat faster as she looked out on a room full of Death Eaters and Mulciber walking forward to take the chain from Rookwood. He led her out from behind the door proudly and the room erupted into a frenzy. Hermione's ears rang and she struggled to keep her face devoid of emotion as she stared out across the sea of Death Eaters. She could hear them yelling and see their lips moving, but she couldn't make out a word they said as she fully realised she'd be sold to one of them in a matter of minutes.</p>
<p>She was vaguely aware of Mulciber saying something, but she couldn't be bothered to understand his words. This turned out to be a fatal mistake as a second later, she was forced onto her knees and the leering got louder. Mulciber fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her head up to look at him. She didn't have time to mask the terror on her face and he grinned down at her.</p>
<p>"This will be your last day of freedom," he taunted. He forced her to look out at the room and Hermione looked over the crowd with barely masked fear. "Look and weep," Mulciber told her. A sob lodged itself in her throat but she was determined to hold it back. "You'll beg for your Order but they'll never find you. You're doomed to die a slave, Granger," he whispered.</p>
<p>Hermione inhaled sharply and the jeers got louder. Something in the crowd flashed and her eyes darted to it. All thoughts fled from her mind as her eyes locked on Draco's in the crowd and the sob she'd been holding back was released. His face was blank but he stared back at her and she felt something inside her break. She mouthed his name, not daring to look away from his face even as Mulciber let go of her hair to begin.</p>
<p>"Let's get started!" Mulciber announced loudly, holding out a hand to silence the room. "You're familiar with Harry Potter's Golden Mudblood."</p>
<p>The shouting started again but Hermione didn't care to listen again. Draco whispered something to a boy beside him Hermione recognised but couldn't name, his eyes leaving hers for just a few seconds.</p>
<p>"No one is worth more to the Order than their precious Granger," Mulciber said. Hermione felt another tear make its way down her face and she wished Draco would look at her again. "I'll accept nothing less than 30,000 galleons for Potter's bitch."</p>
<p>She closed her eyes as wands raised and the shouting became unbearable.</p>
<p>So many things happened at once, it was a wonder Hermione saw them all. First there was a loud <em>crack</em> that echoed around the room and made Hermione's eyes flash open. Next came a green flash to her right and Mulciber dropped dead in front of her. The room was both silent and roaring in anger as Mulciber's body fell. She gasped as his face hit the floor near her knees but before she could turn and look at who had attacked Mulciber, she was grabbed from behind and apparated out of the building.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0028"><h2>28. Chapter 28</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione felt herself pulled into a warm chest as soon as the feeling of apparation wore off, but she pushed away from it quickly. The chains around her wrists clinked loudly and she stumbled over the tail of the chain, but someone caught her. A terrified sob tore through her throat and she looked up at the person that was holding her, expecting to see Rookwood or Dolohov leering down at her. Instead, she looked up and saw Draco looking at her worriedly.</p><p>"Draco!" she cried in relief. Her shoulders shook as she began to cry and she swayed.</p><p>"Hey, hey," he said soothingly, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "You're safe. We're at Grimmauld Place."</p><p>Hermione tried to pull herself closer to him only for the chains around her to pinch her skin painfully. She inhaled sharply and Draco let go of her with one hand so he could pull out his wand and vanish the chains. Immediately, Hermione pulled herself to his chest and locked her arms around him. One of his hands lifted off her shoulders and a second later, he summoned his cloak and wrapped it around her back.</p><p>"Hermione!"</p><p>She flinched at the sound of her name, hugging Draco tighter and hiding her face in his robes. They smelled like him, but when she'd learned what Draco smelled like, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that the smell was safe and his body was warm against hers, unlike the cell wall she'd been pressed against for hours.</p><p>"Don't fucking touch her," Draco snarled at someone behind her. His arms tightened around her and she wished she could hug him tighter in return.</p><p>"You said she'd be okay!"</p><p>"I said I'd get her out!" Draco yelled. Hermione found she couldn't breathe, but Draco didn't seem to notice her struggling as he continued to argue with whoever else was at Grimmauld Place. "I can't—Fuck off, okay? I can't do this with you right now—"</p><p>"I can't breathe," Hermione whispered, pulling her head off of Draco's chest. She stayed in his arms with his cloak wrapped around her back, but she couldn't find the air she needed.</p><p>Draco's eyes dropped down to her immediately and he reached up to gently cup her face. He looked panicked as he grabbed one of Hermione's hands and held it to his chest.</p><p>"Follow me," he instructed. Hermione's fingers twitched against his chest and he glanced down at her hand. When he looked back up at her, he had a pained expression on his face, but only said, "Breathe with me."</p><p>Hermione's breath shook as she focused on following his breaths. She stared at his chest, watching it rise and fall and making her chest do the same. The house was silent except for their breathing and Hermione's vision narrowed down to only Draco. Her fingers twitched again and her breath hitched, but Draco just held her hand tighter and brushed her cheek with the thumb of his hand that was still cupping her face.</p><p>"I—Thank you," she said quietly when she felt like she wouldn't spiral again.</p><p>Instead of releasing her hand from his chest, Draco pulled his other hand away from her face and held her hand between the both of his. He turned her palm face up and without a word began massaging her hand like she'd done for him so many times before. Hermione stared down at their hands and felt new tears prick her eyes, but she didn't panic.</p><p>"How many times did they <em>crucio</em> you?" Draco asked softly. He glanced up at her and Hermione ducked her head. "Hermione?"</p><p>"I lost count," she murmured. Draco pressed his fingers into her palm harder when her fingers twitched again and the sensation was grounding. "Five? Maybe six times?"</p><p>Something in Draco's eyes broke when she told him and Hermione looked away again. He massaged her hand until it twitched no more then reached for her second hand and massaged it just as long.</p><p>"Are you okay, Hermione?"</p><p>Hermione choked on her breath and spun around to face who had spoken, pressing herself against Draco's chest. She pulled the cloak closed around her and felt Draco reach around her to hold the cloak closed as well.</p><p>"Harry?" Hermione gasped, blinking in surprise as she registered the dark messy-haired boy in front of her. Harry gave her a small smile and nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>"We were worried about you, so I came to check on you this morning," he explained. He jerked his chin toward Draco who stiffened behind her. "Imagine my surprise when I see this git going through your bag and hear you were missing all night."</p><p>"It's not Draco's fault!" Hermione rushed to explain. She took a step toward him but Draco's hand on her stopped her.</p><p>"I know that," Harry admitted sheepishly. "He knew where you'd be, but he had to blow his cover to get you out. I promised to vouch for him to the Order if he was successful."</p><p>Hermione blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected them to work amicably together, but clearly something had changed between them if the way Harry wasn't glaring at Draco was anything to go by.</p><p>"I brought you food, by the way," Harry said awkwardly. He stepped aside and Hermione saw a plate of potatoes sitting on the countertop. "I figured maybe you'd be hungry once Malfoy brought you back."</p><p>"I've never been more," she said. She reached for the plate only to remember what she was wearing. "I—Maybe I should change first."</p><p>"Your bag is back in your room," Draco told her. Hermione looked away from Harry to face Draco. "Shower and change. The food will still be here."</p><p>"Will you?" Hermione asked. The prospect of staying at Grimmauld Place alone was all too suddenly terrifying.</p><p>"Yes," Draco promised. He reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear, his hand stopping at the nape of her neck. "I won't be leaving."</p><p>Hermione nodded and hurried out of the room, pausing to give Harry a tight hug as well. She pulled the cloak up so it wasn't too long and ran up the stairs to find her clothes. Once she'd found them, she moved into the bathroom and took a scalding hot shower. She waited until the last second to pull off the scrap of a dress and hang the cloak nearby. She scrubbed her skin raw, trying not to think about Rookwood or Mulciber from hardly two hours earlier when she'd been forced to shower. Another sob lodged itself in her chest and she struggled to wash the shampoo from her hair before scrambling out of the shower.</p><p>She dried herself hastily and pulled on her clothes roughly. Catching sight of her reflection in the mirror, Hermione noticed dark purple fingerprints around her throat and frowned. She gently fingered the marks, wondering what she would do about them when she spotted Draco's cloak. She wrapped it around her shoulders and looked in the mirror again. The collar was high enough it covered the marks. Her heart skipped a beat and she immediately buried her nose in the fabric, inhaling deeply in an effort to calm herself quickly. Her heartbeat slowed and when she opened her eyes a few seconds later, she held her hand over the old dress and burned it before going back downstairs in search of the food Harry had brought her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0029"><h2>29. Chapter 29</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"What'd you expect, Potter?" Draco grumbled, slouching in his chair. He'd transfigured a fork into a new table and propped his elbows up on it. Dropping his head into his hands, he said, "She was in the hands of Mulciber, Rookwood, and the Carrows for 24 hours."</p><p>"Six times, though? That's a lot," Potter said, staring at the wall in front of him.</p><p>Draco sighed, tensing when he heard the stairs creak. Without looking up, he knew Hermione had entered the room. Potter stood up and made his way over to her, muttering softly and handing her the food. Draco kept his head down, running a hand through his hair.</p><p>"Thank you," Hermione murmured to Potter. Draco glanced up at see him press a kiss to the side of her head as he passed her the plate of potatoes.</p><p>"Ginny and Ron are worried," Potter told her, walking by her side as she approached the table. Draco looked away again. "I told them you were missing and we were going to get you back, but they won't sleep until they see you."</p><p>"But Draco," Hermione reminded him. At his name, Draco glanced up and saw her taking a seat in the chair closest to him. "They can't know he's here or they'll know he's the spy."</p><p>"My cover was blown already," Draco replied. He noted that she was still wearing his cloak even though he could see she was wearing denims underneath. "I can't go home, so I'll stay here if that's okay with you."</p><p>Hermione nodded quickly, looking away as her cheeks turned slightly red. Potter narrowed his eyes at him and Draco scowled in return over Hermione's shoulder.</p><p>"I'll bring them over now if you'd like," Harry offered. Hermione glanced at Draco, but he couldn't care less when Weasel and Weasel Two showed up.</p><p>"Now's fine," he told Potter. Potter nodded and with a small wave, he disapparated.</p><p>The house was silent as Hermione quickly ate her potatoes. Part of Draco wondered if he should have suggested Potter bring more, but it was too late now.</p><p>"Ron and Ginny won't be happy to see you," Hermione warned, setting her empty plate down on the table. "Maybe you should go upstairs while they're here."</p><p>"I'm perfectly fine with them cursing me," Draco replied, certain he deserved it at least a little. "Nothing against your friends, Granger, but I think it may be called for."</p><p>"Why's it Granger now?" Hermione asked, confusing Draco slightly. As if sensing his confusion, she said, "Earlier it was Hermione, but now it's back to Granger. I call you Draco."</p><p>"Do you?" Draco teased. Hermione scowled. "I don't think the Weasels would react kindly to me calling you Hermione."</p><p>"What? My name?" she asked. Draco nodded and she snorted. "It's <em>my</em> name. I get to choose who calls me it and I say you can."</p><p>Draco smiled and reached across the short distance to grab her hand. Hermione clutched his hand tightly and while she smiled warmly at him, he could feel her trembling ever so slightly. Worriedly, he glanced down to make sure her fingers weren't still twitching. When he saw they weren't, he was relieved.</p><p>"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip and he told her, "You don't have to tell me you're not. I know those men. I know what they can be like and I—"</p><p>"Stop," Hermione interrupted, squeezing his hand. Draco stopped talking and looked at her anxiously. "When Ron and Ginny get here, they're going to ask a lot of questions and I'll be asked if I'm okay at least a dozen times. I can't—Please don't do that too."</p><p>Draco nodded and leaned forward subconsciously, pressing a kiss to her forehead.</p><p>"Alright," he agreed.</p><p>Hermione leaned against him, pressing her forehead to his chin, and Draco relished in the touch. All too soon, three cracks of apparation sounded and they broke apart hastily. Hermione jumped to her feet, dropping Draco's hand but not stepping away from him.</p><p>"Hermione!" the girl Weasel yelled. She raced forward and threw her arms around Hermione. Her eyes caught on Draco, but she didn't do anything other then narrow her eyes at him slightly. "We were so worried. Are you okay?"</p><p>"Yeah, Ginny," Hermione said, holding Weaselette's arms. Draco stayed seated as Potter and Weasel rushed into the room as well.</p><p>"Mione!" Weasel exclaimed. He pulled her into a tight hug and Draco found himself clenching his hands into fists. "Harry told us you'd gone missing and—"</p><p>Weasel cut himself off as soon as his eyes landed on Draco and the house went silent for a split second.</p><p>"What in Merlin's fucking balls are you doing here?" he snarled, pulling Hermione to his side and taking a large step back.</p><p>"Ron, it's okay," Hermione and Potter said at the same time. They shared a look and Hermione pulled away from Weasel as she said, "Draco's been spying for the Order. We've been running undercover missions together and I got caught."</p><p>"He ratted you out," Weasel said immediately. Draco rolled his eyes and Weasel glared at him.</p><p>"He helped get me out," Hermione explained. Weasel didn't look like he believed her, but Potter nodded in affirmation. "He's been helping the Order this whole time."</p><p>"He's a Malfoy," Weasel said, looking away from Draco to convince Hermione. "He'd never turn to the Order."</p><p>"Oh, can it, Ron," Weaselette grumbled, pushing herself between Ron and Hermione so she could hug her friend. "If they say Malfoy helped, then he helped. What good does it do them to lie?"</p><p>"You just believe it 'cause Harry said it," Weasel grumbled. Weaselette scowled at him and Draco smirked to himself.</p><p>"I believe them both," Weaselette insisted. Weasel opened his mouth to argue, but a hard glare from both Hermione and Weaselette shut him up. "Clearly Hermione is fine," Weaselette said, wrapping an arm around her for proof. "If she wasn't, then we'd have reason to doubt them."</p><p>"I'll doubt whoever I want," Weasel grumbled, though he did stop glaring at Draco for the rest of the time they were at Grimmauld Place.</p><p>For what it was worth, the Weasels and Potter didn't stay long. Something about Kingsley calling a meeting late that night had them returning early and as soon as they were gone, Draco felt like he could look at Hermione again without being stared at.</p><p>He'd noticed before that he tended to find his eyes lingering on her, but this felt different. Perhaps it was just knowing that she'd been at the mercy of Mulciber for so long, but Draco didn't want her leaving the room where he couldn't see. Luckily, this wasn't that big of a problem as Hermione didn't move far from his side even while her friends had been there.</p><p>Silently, they went upstairs only to pause at the top. Draco knew Hermione would be in the room to the right and that he could just as easily sleep in the room directly across the hall, but for some reason that wasn't enough.</p><p>"Will you be okay for the night?" he asked, preparing to be sent away. "I know that's a bad question, but I just meant—"</p><p>"There are two beds," Hermione informed him, staring at the door. "I never sleep well alone anyway and I don't think—I don't think tonight will be better."</p><p>She grimaced at the thought and Draco nodded. Taking her hand, they walked into the room and Draco waved his hand to turn on the lights. Hermione's bag was laying on one of the beds, so Draco sat on the other and watched as Hermione moved her bag and sat on the other. They stared at each other in silence for several long seconds.</p><p>"Are you really staying here now?" she asked. Draco shrugged and nodded at the same time.</p><p>"I can't go home," he reminded her. The news that he was a spy would likely be printed in the <em>Daily</em> <em>Prophet</em> in the morning but the news would have spread quickly by now. "As long as you don't mind, I would like to stay here."</p><p>"I don't hate you, Draco," she said, confusing Draco silently. "You can stay here. I don't hate you."</p><p>"Well, that is good news," Draco teased. Hermione frowned and Draco wondered how that had been the wrong thing to say. "I don't think you do, Hermione."</p><p>"You act like it still sometimes," she said matter of factly. Draco rolled his eyes.</p><p>"Rest assured, I do not think you hate me anymore," Draco assured her. Hermione seemed content with that answer and nodded to herself. "I don't hate you either."</p><p>"Of course you don't," Hermione said with a small smirk. "You could never."</p><p>Draco snorted and while he changed the subject so he could tease her further, he couldn't help but agree with her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0030"><h2>30. Chapter 30</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hermione woke up with the feeling of hands grabbing her and fingers pinching her arse. A phantom hand ghosted over her chest and under the safety of the covers, her own hand moved to her chest to chase it away. She struggled to breathe as she kept her eyes firmly closed, terrified that if she opened them, someone would be looming over her.</p><p>The bed shifted and Hermione sucked in a breath. Her body tensed up and she turned her head to the side, squeezing her eyes closed even tighter.</p><p>"Hermione," a voice said softly.</p><p>Hermione's breath hitched and she opened her eyes slowly to see Draco leaning over her. He was seated on the edge of her bed and had his arms on either side of her. He stared down at her worriedly and Hermione brought a hand up to her mouth to muffle a choked back sob.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she choked out, closing her eyes again. "I can feel them all and I know it's okay now, but I just—I can feel—"</p><p>She broke off as her chest heaved and she let out a small sob.</p><p>"I know," Draco murmured. She felt his hand gently brush across her face and her shoulders shook again. "Tell me what to do."</p><p>Hermione cracked open her eyes to see him staring at her helplessly. Recalling the way she'd felt when he'd first pulled her into his arms and how his scent had calmed her almost instantly, she reached one hand out to him. He understood and shifted on the bed so he could lay down with her. The bed was small and he was not, but after lots of shifting around and adjusting on both ends, they settled down comfortably. Draco laid on top of her almost like a blanket and Hermione clung to him tightly. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders while his went around her waist and she buried her face in his neck.</p><p>"Is this what you wanted?" Draco asked softly. Hermione panicked for a moment, fearing she'd made him uncomfortable and prepared to pull away.</p><p>"I'm sorry," she said again, pulling her arms from around his shoulders. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, I just—"</p><p>"I'm not uncomfortable, Hermione," he interrupted gently. He pulled his head back so he could look at her and smiled softly. "I just want to know how to help."</p><p>He laid his head back down and Hermione returned to her previous position, arms around his shoulders and her face buried in his neck. She focused on breathing and not on the fading sensation of being pinched. Instead of drowning in the memory of Rookwood and Mulciber in the shower, she let herself be surrounded by Draco's scent.</p><p>"I'm sorry," Draco breathed, tightening his arms around her. Hermione frowned, wondering what he was apologising for when she'd been the one to wake him. "I shouldn't have let you go. I knew it was risky and then I left you there. I could have gotten there sooner."</p><p>"No," Hermione argued weakly. That wasn't true. "You didn't know. It's not your fault, Draco."</p><p>"Well it sure isn't yours," Draco said firmly and Hermione squeezed her eyes closed. "Whose is it then, Hermione?"</p><p>"It wasn't anyone's," Hermione insisted. "It was a risk we both knew was there. Sometimes risks aren't just risks, but things that happen."</p><p>"Fuck that," Draco replied, his voice cracking. Hermione's eyes opened and she craned her head back to look at Draco, but he kept his face well hidden as he sniffled.</p><p>"Draco?" she asked. She pulled one of her hands away from his shoulders to brush back his hair and his eyes opened. Even though it was dark, she could see tears glistening in the corners of his eyes and she frowned. "What is it?" she asked.</p><p>"I can't stop thinking about it," he whispered. He pressed his forehead to the side of her head and breathed deeply. "I went to all the revels, Hermione, I know how they can get and I'm fucking terrified that I left you there at their mercy because they don't know what mercy is. I know I didn't leave you there, but I brought you there and to me, that's just as bad."</p><p>Hermione hugged him tightly, one hand on the back of his head and the other still around his shoulders. When they'd crossed the point in their relationship where Hermione felt comfortable lying like this with Draco, she swore she'd never be able to pin down. Still, it felt right to have Draco wrapped around her after a nightmare and she wondered if this would be a one time thing or not.</p><p>"Rookwood was the only one who touched me," she whispered. Draco's breath hitched and her fingers twitched in his hair, but she continued. "He didn't get very far though. And there were two boys, younger Death Eaters who walked me from my cell to where I met Mulciber, that pinched my arse."</p><p>"You have marks on your neck," Draco reminded her. His hand moved so his fingers could gently brush across the marks on her throat.</p><p>"I upset Rookwood," she explained. Draco's head moved and she turned hers to face him. "He tried to choke me, but it wasn't nearly as bad as the <em>crucio</em>."</p><p>Draco's hand by her neck stiffened and he narrowed his eyes at her, clearly not thrilled with how she'd tried to make a joke. Hermione smoothed back his hair and he relaxed against her. Without having to move hardly at all, he leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. Hermione stilled.</p><p>"Draco?" she asked softly. He hummed, burying his face in her neck. "What are you doing?"</p><p>There was a pause, then Draco said quietly, "I'm hugging you."</p><p>Hermione felt a smile creep onto her face and she almost would have laughed if he hadn't pressed another feather light kiss to her neck.</p><p>"No, that," she said, shifting slightly at the ticklish sensation.</p><p>"Oh," Draco said. He didn't reply immediately. "I can stop if you want."</p><p>Hermione did not want that, but she also didn't want to outright say so. Instead, she just shook her head and moved closer to him. He smiled against her neck and tucked his nose right under her chin.</p><p>"What do you—"</p><p>Hermione was cut off short as Draco's lips covered half of hers. Not having expected him to kiss her neck again, she had turned to face him only for his lips to meet hers instead of her jaw. She swallowed her own breath and Draco pulled away sharply, seeming just as surprised as she was.</p><p>"I'm sorry!" they both said hastily. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment and Draco looked away. The room was silent for a split second as neither one of them said a word.</p><p>"I didn't mean to kiss you," Draco told her. She cracked her eyelids open to see him staring down at her. His eyes flickered to her lips and she found herself holding her breath. "Well, not there, anyway. I figured now might not be the best time, so I—"</p><p>"I don't mind," Hermione interrupted. Draco paused mid-sentence and Hermione felt her cheeks heat up, suddenly thankful for the darkness of the room. "For Merlin's sake, Draco, we're already cuddled into one person—"</p><p>"We're not cuddling," Draco grumbled in protest.</p><p>"—the least of my problems is you kissing me," Hermione finished. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she smiled slightly. "Besides, it's not like I haven't been kissed before."</p><p>"You don't—Merlin, Granger, who the fuck have you kissed?" Draco asked. Hermione laughed. "In case you aren't aware, generally when you're cuddling with someone you don't mention other people you've kissed."</p><p>"Oh, so we are cuddling?" Hermione asked teasingly. Draco glared at her and Hermione laughed again, tugging on his hair lightly. "Just kiss me, Draco," she told him with a laugh.</p><p>Draco shifted over her and a second later, his lips dropped down to hers. Hermione pulled her hand from his shoulder so she could cup his face and smiled at the weight of him on top of her. One of his knees went between her legs to hold his weight and his arms dropped on either side of her, caging her in but not trapping her. His tongue pressed against her lips and without protest, she opened her mouth for him.</p><p>He kissed her until she couldn't breathe and when she was finally gasping for air, he pulled away to pepper kisses across her jaw and cheek. She'd barely started breathing again before his lips were back on hers and the sensation of being so entirely surrounded by him made her almost happy enough to cry. One of her legs moved to lock around his in a dull effort to keep him from moving away from her. How she'd ever gone without him so close, she couldn't be sure. She was certain, however, that she would never let it happen again.</p><p>"Don't go," she murmured against his lips. Draco pressed his lips firmly against hers and she held him tighter.</p><p>He stopped kissing her just long enough to promise, "I won't."</p><p>Draco shifted again, though this time it was away from her and she clung to him desperately. He shifted his hips and rolled so only his upper body was against her and she frowned.</p><p>"What are you doing?" she asked, worried he'd leave the room even as he made no motion to stand up.</p><p>"Nothing," he murmured in reply. He kissed the edge of her lips and told her, "Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere."</p><p>Hermione curled closer to him and as she moved to wrap her ankle around his, her thigh hit something hard. Her eyes widened as she realised why Draco had been shifting his lower body away from her, but he leaned forward and kissed her shortly before she could say anything. She wasn't a stranger to boners, but for some reason, she had not expected to encounter one right then.</p><p>"Do—"</p><p>"Just ignore it," Draco interrupted.</p><p>He hugged her to his chest and tucked her head under his chin. She huffed as she realised he was done kissing her, but he was warm and smelled good, so she couldn't stay mad for long. As he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, she locked her ankle around his and wrapped her arms back around his shoulders to keep him from moving.</p><p>"Go back to sleep, Hermione," he told her gently. Hermione closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, but she doubted she'd fall asleep anytime soon. Neither of them said a word, though, and when Hermione heard Draco's breath even out and his arms loosened around her, she felt herself start to drift off to sleep as well, her dreams filled with Draco kissing her instead of Rookwood leering at her.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0031"><h2>31. Chapter 31</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In the morning, Draco awoke to Hermione running her fingers through his hair and her body pressed under his. He hummed happily and tightened his arms around her, letting her know he was awake. Her fingers stilled and one of her hands moved to cup his jaw.</p><p>"If you don't mind moving," she said, a smile in her voice, "I really need to use the loo."</p><p>"No," Draco grumbled, holding her even tighter.</p><p>She snorted and shoved his face away from hers. Unhappily, Draco opened his eyes and rolled off of her so she could hop off the bed and hurry to the restroom. He kept his eyes on the door the whole time she was gone and when she was finally back in sight, he grinned happily and waited for her to rejoin him in the warm bed. She did not.</p><p>"Where are you going?" he whined when she started toward the bedroom door.</p><p>"Harry, Ron, and Ginny will be here soon to deliver breakfast," she told him, her hand resting on the door handle. "I have to meet them or they'll come up here to find me."</p><p>Draco doubted he'd ever hated a thought as much as he hated the thought of the Golden Boys and Weaselette walking in on him and Hermione in one bed. As badly as he wanted Hermione to come back, he wanted to remain left alone even more, so he let her disappear through the door without further argument.</p><p>After several minutes, however, Draco decided to get up anyway and pulled his robes from the day before back over his head. He walked down the stairs and into the dining hall where he heard several voices laughing together. As he walked in, he saw Hermione already eating and another plate of food sitting on the table beside her. Potter and Weasel sat across the table from Hermione, but Weaselette was nowhere in sight.</p><p>"Where's the other one?" Draco asked as he walked into the room. The three of them turned to look at him and he gave Hermione a small smile. "Isn't there supposed to be another Weasley around here?"</p><p>"Ginny got sent out to help at one of the safehouses I sent several kids to," Hermione explained. She nudged the remaining plate toward Draco as he took a seat beside her and smiled. "Harry was explaining how the Order had reacted to today's <em>Daily Prophet.</em>"</p><p>Draco raised an eyebrow at her questioningly and she slid the paper over to him. He glanced down at it and immediately set down his plate so he could pick it up and read it better. His face was printed across the front page as was Hermione's Most Wanted photo. The title read <em>Malfoy Defects for Mudblood</em>.</p><p>"Skeeter did a real number on you," Potter said. Draco hummed, skimming over the article briefly. "She had a number of sources from last night, but I don't know how much is accurate."</p><p>"The point is that the whole wizarding world knows now," Weasel said, nodding at the paper. "You won't be going back to a comfy life at the Manor or sabotaging Death Eater bases."</p><p>Draco frowned and set the paper down in favour of his plate. The Manor hadn't been a very comfortable place to be for years, but Weasel didn't need to know that and Draco doubted he'd care anyway. However, there was one thing about the Manor the Golden Group—or whatever they were called by the Order now—might be interested to know.</p><p>"The Dark Lord hosts a dinner at the Manor every Thursday evening," Draco told them. They gave him strange looks and Draco rolled his eyes. "I may not be able to send new information to the Order, but certainly they'd want to know how to destroy the Dark Lord's forces some other way now, right?"</p><p>"Yeah," Potter said, glancing at Weasel. Weasel shrugged and they both looked at Hermione. Hermione, however, was watching Draco closely.</p><p>"Kingsley would never let a group go to Malfoy Manor without concrete evidence of success," Hermione told him. "You'd never be able to convince him. Besides, wouldn't the time change now that it's been revealed you were a spy?"</p><p>"No, he's too confident of his own wards around the place," Draco assured her. He'd seen the Dark Lord gloat about his power and his success enough times to know that with confidence. "He orders his top Death Eaters there each week and all night long, they celebrate him. If Shacklebolt got a team in that was willing to do a little more than just stun their opponents, it's a sure win."</p><p>"And why didn't you mention this before?" Potter asked, crossing his arms. He narrowed his eyes at Draco who in turn, took another bite of his food.</p><p>"More people will be in attendance because of my defect," he answered. He looked away from Potter and stared down at his plate as he explained, "The Dark Lord will likely make an example of my parents and he'll want all his top followers to be there. While the other nights have been full, this week should be the most Malfoy Manor has seen."</p><p>"You're sure?" Weasel asked. Draco's attention snapped up to him and Hermione's ankle crossed his, telling him he'd glared a little too hard.</p><p>"Of course I'm sure," Draco snapped anyway. He glanced at Hermione who gave him a stern look and he returned his attention to Weasel once more, but with less menace. "If you get a group in there and trigger the ley lines, you'll trap everyone inside and play them to your mercy."</p><p>"But ley lines," Hermione said, nudging his attention back to her. "The Order can't get in without triggering them against themselves. How would they be able to set them targeting on the Death Eaters?"</p><p>Draco grimaced as he knew she probably knew the answer.</p><p>"I'll have to go," he said, already certain the Order would refuse. With or without Skeeter's report, the Order was not likely to follow his lead. "There's a lot of tricks and no one could apparate in anyway with the wards around."</p><p>"Kingsley won't approve it," Potter confirmed. Draco sighed and set his plate down on the table. "No one in the Order would be willing to kill, either. Well, Hermione and Ginny would, but there's no way we'd let them go alone—"</p><p>"And I don't have a wand," Hermione pointed out. Draco looked at her sharply, wondering when she was going to mention that otherwise. She glared at all three of them and said, "You didn't honestly expect me to still have it, did you? It was the first thing I lost."</p><p>"I'll ask McGonagall to find you one," Potter promised. Hermione nodded her thanks, but the gratitude was taken back when Potter said, "But you and Ginny aren't going alone."</p><p>"I did say I'd be going," Draco drawled. Weasel rolled his eyes.</p><p>"So three. That's useless," he said. Draco glared at him and Hermione put his hand on his arm. The action only made Weasel look less thrilled.</p><p>"There have to be others in the Order willing to kill," she said, addressing Potter and Weasel though her hand did not leave Draco. "Ginny and I are the only ones who have done it, but that doesn't mean we're the only ones who can."</p><p>"I'd do it," Weasel grumbled, still glaring at Draco. Draco's eyes narrowed on him further but Hermione ignored it. "If I was staring into the eyes of some bastard who'd chosen Riddle's side, I'd kill him instantly."</p><p>Hermione and Potter shared a look, but Draco was too busy glaring at Weasel to care much or read into it.</p><p>"As reassuring as that is, Ron, I'm not sure you'd be so willing to follow Draco's command without question," Hermione said. Draco smirked as Weasel's glare wavered and they both looked at her. "Draco has to get us through the anti-apparation wards and he knows how to trigger the ley lines. You can't go just to kill Death Eaters."</p><p>"If he can promise not to get us killed," Weasel said, jerking his chin toward Draco, "Then I can follow his command."</p><p>"Sounds perfect," Draco smirked. Weasel returned to glaring at him and Hermione kicked his ankle. Draco hissed and turned to glare at her, but she wasn't paying attention to him.</p><p>"If McGonagall can get me a wand by tomorrow, then we should be able to make the dinner this week," Hermione told Potter. Draco blinked. It was Tuesday? How did Hermione keep track of that and when had he forgotten?</p><p>"I'll talk to her today," Potter promised. He stood up from his seat, dragging Weasel with him then paused. "If we do this, you two had better have a full plan before we leave. I don't want to find out we're winging it as soon as we arrive."</p><p>"Don't worry, Potter," Draco said, sliding his plate across the table and into Potter's hands. "We've got all day to figure it out now that the two of us are fugitives of both the Order and the Dark Lord."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0032"><h2>32. Chapter 32</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>McGonagall managed to get her hands on two different wands for Hermione. The first one worked flawlessly, but the second one was a bit picky. Hermione kept both just in case and spent all of Wednesday evening drawing up plans with her new wand to get a better feel of it. Ron, Ginny, and Harry stayed until late that night so that Draco could fully explain what they needed to do and how to do it. He even procured a detailed map of the Manor and explained what would happen in each wing once they triggered the ley lines. It was more complicated than it seemed as Draco had to be the one to do it and it was very likely the curse could fall on them as well, but Hermione had done enough research to know there was a spell that would allow for them all to share the blood of a Malfoy and not be attacked in return.</p><p>"Not sure I want to be a Malfoy," Ron grumbled. Hermione reminded him he didn't have to join, and he promptly stopped arguing.</p><p>"It will only last for an hour and while that should be long enough, we don't want to risk it," Draco explained, glancing at Hermione who nodded in confirmation. "Hermione will perform the spell before we apparate there and then right before we break off into our groups."</p><p>"Speaking of groups," Ginny said, raising her hand slightly. "How are we planning on doing that? You're the only one that knows the layout of the Manor and there's an odd number of us."</p><p>"Since Ron and Harry can't be trusted alone or with Draco, you'll go with them," Hermione told her. "I'll go with Draco. As far as getting around, once the ley lines are triggered, the Manor will destroy anyone who doesn't share Malfoy blood."</p><p>"It's possible the Dark Lord put his own blood into the Manor grounds as well," Draco reminded them.</p><p>While he and Hermione took care of the ley lines and blood magic, it was up to Ginny, Harry, and Ron to find the Dark Lord and kill him as soon as the magic was triggered. Everyone else would be trapped, even his Aunt Bellatrix as she did not share Malfoy blood or the name.</p><p>"Can't promise I won't just kill them all," Ginny grumbled, twirling her wand beside her. Draco shared a look with Hermione who shrugged. "So, anyone we should target in particular?"</p><hr/><p>When the next morning came, Hermione met Harry downstairs with their food and she and Draco ate in comfortable silence. They'd fine tuned their plan even further and Hermione had practiced the blood sharing spell several times after Harry, Ginny, and Ron had left. All that was left for them to do at this point was wait.</p><p>"Have you ever actually researched the wards and blood magic used to protect your Manor?" Hermione asked, her feet in Draco's lap as they sat on an old sofa.</p><p>"Of course," Draco replied. He ran his hand up her leg and smirked when she kicked him lightly. "My father was always proud of the Malfoy magic and how deep it ran into the earth. I don't remember a summer he didn't tell me about the ley lines."</p><p>"And when did you learn about the blood magic?" Hermione asked. Draco paused, thinking a little longer.</p><p>"Three summers ago," he answered quietly. "After I took the mark, I wanted to know if the Manor used blood magic too. It wasn't as hard to find out as I thought it would be."</p><p>"The dark mark uses blood magic?" Hermione asked. Her hand moved over his arm and she softly touched his mark. Draco's fingers twitched involuntarily but she didn't pull away.</p><p>"Yeah," he replied, his voice quiet once more. He turned his arm over and Hermione's fingers moved to lace through his as the room fell silent.</p><p>While they continued to talk all day, the day moved past slowly. Ginny brought them lunch but apparated out quickly and they had until dinner before they saw anyone again. By the time Harry, Ginny, and Ron did arrive, Hermione and Draco were hungry enough they hardly bothered greeting them.</p><p>"You're the ones that said come later," Ron grumbled after Hermione had snatched the two plates from him.</p><p>Neither of them bothered replying as they quickly ate all of the food on the plates then sat back in their seats. A quick glance at the clock told them there was only fifteen minutes before they had planned to leave, but no one said anything for several minutes.</p><p>"We're sure this will work, right?" Ginny asked, glancing between Hermione and Draco.</p><p>"Yeah," Hermione said, nodding to herself. "Yeah, because we've planned it down to the second and Draco's done enough research for all of us."</p><p>"Will we be able to leave if it goes wrong?" Harry asked, looking at Draco. He pursed his lips and hesitated.</p><p>"If you still have Malfoy blood, yes," he answered. If not, the Manor would trap them inside even if the ley lines hadn't been triggered yet. "If you feel like something's wrong, apparate."</p><p>"Merlin, we're gonna die," Ron muttered, looking away from the group. Hermione scowled at him, but she was forced to look away when the clock alerted them to the time and they knew they were to get going.</p><p>Without a word, Draco held out his arm and Hermione murmured the spell to draw out his blood. He swayed slightly and Harry settled a hand on his shoulders to steady him while they all watched Hermione. The large pool of blood floated above them and split into four sections. At Hermione's word, it dove into the bare arms of her, Ginny, Ron, and Harry. The area glowed for a second or two then faded.</p><p>"That's it?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded. "Seems simple."</p><p>"It's actually very complex magic," Hermione said, choosing to refrain from mentioning that it was based in the dark arts. "We should hurry before it starts to wear off."</p><p>Draco held out his arms and they all grabbed hold of his robes tightly. Once making sure they were all secure and there was no risk of splinching, Draco closed his eyes and apparated them all directly into his bedroom. They stayed still until they were sure no one had heard the apparation and they hadn't triggered any wards. Even though Draco's blood should work, there was always the risk the dark magic of the Manor would refuse to recognise someone deemed a traitor by his family.</p><p>"So this is where we wait now?" Ron asked, glancing around the large room. Draco nodded.</p><p>"You'll know when the ley lines have been activated," he promised, adjusting his hold of Hermione's hand. "When they do, go straight down the stairs, down the hall, and the dining hall is the third door on your left. If he isn't in there, he's in the drawing room which is—"</p><p>"We know," Harry interrupted, glancing at Hermione. Draco squeezed her hand and she gave Harry an awkward smile. "If he's not there, he'll be in your father's study, down the second hall, fifth door to the right."</p><p>"Good," Draco said. He glanced at Hermione then and asked, "Ready?"</p><p>"As I'll ever be," she replied. He nodded and they both smiled at the remaining three before Draco apparated out of the room with Hermione clutched tightly to his side.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0033"><h2>33. Chapter 33</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They landed in a room Draco had only ever been in twice: the first time when he received his dark mark and the second time when he was investigating the blood magic of the Manor. He did not release Hermione's hand and even tightened his hold on her ever so slightly. Beside him, Hermione inhaled sharply and he turned to see what had caught her attention. The Malfoy family tree took up the center of the room and seemed to be what she was staring at.</p><p>"Don't," Draco said tightly, tugging her back to his chest when she took a step toward it. She looked up at him curiously and he pulled her further away. "It will kill you."</p><p>Instead of asking how or why, Hermione just nodded and let him pull her through the narrow, dark room. At the far side, a rounded door stared back at them with three black jewels that formed a triangle in the center. The sharp cut of the jewels was meant to draw blood as Draco had both seen and read about, so he didn't hesitate to raise his fist and slice it. Hermione gasped, but didn't reach for his hand that rested over the black gems.</p><p>The lock clicked and the door slowly opened, revealing a corridor lit entirely by fiendfyre torches. Draco stepped inside and Hermione followed, not touching the door even as it slammed shut behind them. Slowly but not warily, Draco walked down the corridor with Hermione right on his heels. They didn't utter a word until they reached a second door and Draco held his cut fist over the singular gem in the center of it. Instead of opening, the door disappeared and revealed a hidden chamber hardly big enough for Hermione to crawl into.</p><p>"Do we go in?" she whispered. Draco glanced at her and shook his head.</p><p>"I don't think so," he replied. Hermione's eyes widened and he knew she wanted to demand he be more sure, but they were interrupted by a rumbling in front of them.</p><p>Hermione's hand wrapped around Draco's wrist and he looked around the corridor worriedly. He hadn't read anything about the room rumbling when he opened the chamber and it didn't seem like a good sign, but the walls did not cave in on them and the ceiling didn't turn to dust.</p><p>As suddenly as it had started, the rumbling stopped. Inside the chamber, something began to glow a soft white and Draco reached his hand into the chamber to grab it. As his hand passed through the chamber door, it began to burn and he pulled back quickly, hissing in pain.</p><p>"It's cursed," he explained, pulling his hand out of Hermione's and rubbing his hurting hand. "I didn't read anything about that."</p><p>"Maybe it's to keep you from taking out more than what you need," Hermione suggested. Draco knew she was right, but the last thing he wanted to do was stick his hand back through the portal. "Move quickly and after, I'll heal your hand."</p><p>Draco did as she instructed and even though he could feel his skin begin to bubble, he reached forward and grabbed the stone. It was cool to the touch and felt wonderful to his burned skin, but Draco didn't think too long on it. He held the stone in one hand and pointed his wand at it with the other. Closing his eyes, he focused on the words he'd memorised many summers before and mouthed them silently. He repeated the spell a second time and when he opened his eyes, he threw the white stone to the floor, shattering it perfectly on top of a blood red garnet embedded by his feet.</p><p>The change was immediate. It felt like something punched him in the gut and wind whistled through the corridor. Frantically, he turned to find Hermione and grabbed at her desperately. Her eyes were wide with fear and he pushed her down the corridor.</p><p>"Go!" he yelled at her.</p><p>He kept his hand on her back and struggled to walk straight as the wind blew around them. A sudden gust from behind shoved him into Hermione's back and in an effort to keep them from falling to the ground, Draco grabbed one of the torches with his burned hand. The pain was terrible, but they stayed upright and with Hermione in front of him, they were able to make it to the end of the corridor.</p><p>Hermione stepped aside, letting him shove the door open and hurrying through before it slammed in her face. Outside of the corridor, the wind was less severe, but no less powerful. Draco wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulders and forced her to keep her head down as bits of the wall began to break off and branches of the family tree flew at them.</p><p>There was no way they would be able to apparate out with things flying at them so often, so Draco guided them around the family tree and to the far door. He twisted the handle and yanked it open. Together, he and Hermione stumbled through the door and let it close behind them.</p><p>"This is not what I imagined," Hermione exclaimed over the wind. Draco nodded in agreement. "Give me your hand," she ordered, holding out her own and prepping her wand. "We'll find the others in a second."</p><p>"There may not be time," Draco warned. He held out his hand nevertheless and how Hermione was able to focus long enough to make the throbbing of the burn disappear, he had no idea.</p><p>"Better?" she yelled. Draco smiled and nodded, pressing a firm kiss to her forehead. When he pulled away, her cheeks were slightly red and he grinned.</p><p>"Let's go," he said, taking her hand once more.</p><p>They raced through the long hall and down the stairs. Before they reached the last step, spells were thrown in their direction and panicked Death Eaters appeared before them. Just like Draco had promised, though, the spells did not touch them and he and Hermione continued forward.</p><p>As they raced into the dining hall, they scanned the area for the Dark Lord's body. If Potter, Weasel, and Weaselette were unsuccessful, they would have wasted their time. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen in the dining hall and the angry shouts being directed at them were not helping.</p><p>"Fucking Mudblood!" someone shrieked.</p><p>A jet of green shot toward them, but veered to the left before it hit Hermione. Draco pulled her out of the dining hall, checking the drawing room as they passed. He stopped short and Hermione hit his back.</p><p>"What? Are they in there?" she asked, moving around him. She gasped as her eyes landed on what had caught his attention as well, her hand reaching for his.</p><p>His aunt Bellatrix laid in the exact spot Hermione had years earlier. There was a vicious hole in her chest and she wasn't moving. Even if Draco hadn't seen all the blood that was surrounding her, the hollow look in her eyes would have told him she was dead anyway.</p><p>"We need to go," Draco said, pulling himself away from the drawing room and taking Hermione with him as well. He'd have time to think of his aunt later, but right now, they needed to ensure the Dark Lord was dead. "There's only one more place he could be."</p><p>Hermione nodded and together they ran through the hall and stopped just outside an open door. Stepping through the open door, Draco immediately saw what looked like dirt covering his father's desk and the floor in front of it. He frowned and walked closer, trying to figure out what it was.</p><p>"Is that normal?" Hermione asked behind him. Draco shook his head.</p><p>"My father would never let this much dirt into his study," Draco said, poking the dirt with his free hand. "Something must have—"</p><p>Hermione's hand was ripped from his so suddenly Draco gasped. He spun around and saw Greyback snarling as he held Hermione in front of him. His father stood to the left, a frown permanent on his face.</p><p>"Let go of her," Draco demanded, pointing his wand at Greyback. Greyback just snickered and pulled Hermione closer, one of his hands splaying across her stomach while the other held her wrists together just under her chin.</p><p>"What have you done?" his father hissed, stepping around Greyback. The wind in the room whistled past them and the dirt on his father's desk drifted to the ground.</p><p>"Let her go," Draco ordered again, looking past his father at Greyback. "I swear to fucking Merlin, Greyback, I'll split your head from your body."</p><p>"She smells good," Greyback replied with a smirk. He stuck his nose in Hermione's hair and inhaled deeply. Draco's eye twitched. "Just as good as she smelled when you helped her sneak through those passageways."</p><p>"I knew you hadn't brought Zabini," his father sneered.</p><p>Draco, again, disregarded him in favour of sending an angry curse at Greyback. He ducked out of the way and if the Manor hadn't been protecting Hermione against it, the curse would have hit her.</p><p>"You should consider all the consequences next time you bring a lovely creature like this around," Greyback taunted. His fingers began to bleed and claws protruded from them slowly as he pressed harder against Hermione's stomach.</p><p>"I'll kill you," Draco told him, watching as one of his claws poked through Hermione's robes. "Draw blood and I'll kill you."</p><p>"You can't kill me," Greyback said, though his claws retracted slightly. "The only wizards powerful enough to have ever killed me are dead."</p><p>Draco didn't take his eyes off Hermione even as Greyback looked at something behind him. If he had looked away, he would have missed the quickness with which Hermione moved as she spread her fingers and burned Greyback's arm with an angry wandless spell. He howled and released her hands just long enough for her to pull out her wand. Greyback's clawed hand stretched for her even as she turned to curse him, but Draco was quicker.</p><p> </p><p>"<em>Avada kedavra</em>," he snarled. He sliced the curse through Greyback's neck and just like he'd promised, Greyback's head was ripped away.</p><p>Hermione jumped out of the way as blood poured from his neck and his body crumbled. Draco lunged forward, wrapping his hand around her wrist and pulling her tightly to his chest.</p><p>"What have you done?" his father demanded over the wind that continued to howl. "You've cursed the Manor to kill us all? The wards won't let her apparate with you. She's a Mudblood, not a Malfoy."</p><p>"She's as good as one," Draco snarled back. The sneer on his father's face disappeared but before he could say anything else, Draco apparated them back to Grimmauld Place with a crack.</p><p>They landed face to face with Potter, Weasel, and Weaselette who wore identical worried expressions. The second they appeared, the three threw themselves at Hermione—and Draco by extension—hugging them both tightly in a way that made Draco uncomfortable.</p><p>"Where did you go?" Weaselette demanded, pulling away first. As soon as Weasel's hands were off him, Draco straightened his robes and glanced down at Hermione.</p><p>"To make sure you'd gotten out," Hermione answered. Weaselette's eyes narrowed, but it was Weasel who spoke first.</p><p>"That wasn't part of the plan," he told them. Hermione gave him an annoyed look and Draco smirked.</p><p>"You really thought we'd just leave you there?" she asked. Weasel shrugged and Hermione scowled. "You're a damn fool if that's what you thought."</p><p>"What took you so long though?" Weaselette asked again. Hermione and Draco shared a look that did not go unnoticed. "What? What was that?"</p><p>"We ran into Lucius and Greyback, that's all," Hermione said. All three pairs of eyes went wide and Hermione frowned.</p><p>"Did you see what happened to him then? After Harry killed him?" Weasel asked breathlessly.</p><p>"Who? What happened?"</p><p>"Volde—"</p><p>"Harry!" Hermione yelled, covering his mouth before he could say the name that hadn't been said in years. "The taboo!"</p><p>"No, he's dead!" Potter told her excitedly. Hermione paused. "The taboo is broken because we killed him. He turned to dust and everything!"</p><p>"That's what that was," Draco mused, thinking back to the dust that had been in his father's study. "If my father and Greyback were there, why didn't you kill them too?"</p><p>Weasel and Potter shared a look while Weaselette looked slightly irritated.</p><p>"I wanted to," Weaselette announced. Draco raised an eyebrow at her and she waved him off. "Oh, come off it, Malfoy. You two aren't the only ones that like killing Death Eaters."</p><p>"Ginny," Hermione scolded. She grinned and Hermione caved and gave her a small smile.</p><p>"I killed Bellatrix when she tried to curse Harry," Weaselette admitted. Draco felt something twist in his gut which was odd since he'd never even liked his aunt. "The Manor was protecting Lucius, though. I couldn't get a hit on him and Greyback's too powerful."</p><p>"I killed Greyback," Draco told her. Hermione squeezed his hand as Weasel, Weaselette, and Potter all looked at him with wide eyes. "He's dead, so his Snatchers have no one to lead them even if the taboo is still working."</p><p>"You killed—Fuck, mate," Weasel said, staring at Draco with what could only be described as uncomfortable awe. "How?"</p><p>"He made me angry," Draco answered. Weasel rolled his eyes, muttering how that didn't exactly answer the question, but didn't make Draco say anymore.</p><p>"How do we know if it actually worked?" Weaselette asked. She reached for Potter's hand and Draco would have grumbled about the display they made if he didn't still have Hermione's hand held tightly in his own. "Surely the <em>Prophet</em> will say something, right?"</p><p>"The Order should know before the <em>Prophet</em> does," Draco told them. It was likely the <em>Daily Prophet</em> would spin the event to still favour the Death Eaters that remained. "In a few hours, we should return and make sure it worked. Then you can tell your Order."</p><p>They didn't wait more than an hour and a half before they all apparated to just outside the Manor gates. Draco was the first to arrive and even though several <em>cracks</em> sounded around him, he didn't look back at them, choosing instead to stare at the desolate remains of the Malfoy estate.</p><p>"It's gone," Potter said, moving to stand beside him. "How come it's gone?"</p><p>"The Manor was charmed to protect centuries of Malfoy secrets," Draco explained. While the gates remained, the Manor had crumbled in on itself and vanished, taking everything inside along with it. "Even if there is a Malfoy left to inherit it, the magic won't allow for it to return now."</p><p>"Where did it go?" Weaselette asked. Draco shrugged. He hadn't found that part anywhere in his readings, but he figured anything he guessed wouldn't be anywhere near accurate. "So all those Death Eaters and Riddle's body, it's all gone?"</p><p>"Looks like it," Weasel muttered.</p><p>Draco felt someone grab his hand and glanced to his right to see Hermione staring blankly at the Manor. She didn't look up at him as she gently squeezed his hand then turned to her friends.</p><p>"There are still Death Eaters out there," she reminded them. "Some may try to continue Riddle's work even with him gone, so the Order needs to take advantage of what they can."</p><p>"I can send you back with a list of all remaining bases and safehouses," Draco told Potter, finally looking away from the empty estate. "By morning, the top ones will be vacated so I suggest you go now."</p><p>"We'll have to explain everything to Kingsley first," Potter said, looking grim. "That could take all night."</p><p>"Hermione and I can get started then," Draco said, glancing at Hermione. She grinned. "We have a little experience in it after all."</p><p>Potter snorted.</p><p>"I'd say," he replied. He looked at Weasel and Weaselette and told them, "We should return now. Let Malfoy and Hermione get started on the remaining bases and we can get Kingsley to head an attack."</p><p>They both nodded and all three turned to Hermione and Draco.</p><p>"We'll meet at Grimmauld Place just after sunrise," Hermione promised. With her and Draco out, they needed something other than a clock to tell time that night. "You should be able to get Kingsley on board by then. If not, I know McGonagall will be."</p><p>"Kingsley then McGonagall, got it," Weaselette said, pulling out her wand and getting ready to apparate. "Try not to blow a hole through the earth before then."</p><p>Hermione just smirked, making no promises as her friends disapparated in front of them. Once it was just the two of them again, Hermione turned to face Draco and glanced again at the Manor.</p><p>"I'm not upset about it," he told her before she could ask. "It needed to be burned to the ground."</p><p>Hermione hummed beside him in agreement and he looked down at her. Her hair was loose even though he could have swore he'd seen her braid it earlier. She wasn't wearing her cloak and he knew she likely wouldn't stop to grab it before they left for the first base. Without the Order stopping her anymore and the Dark Lord killed, she looked like she couldn't care less who recognised her, a thought that made Draco smile to himself.</p><p>"We should get started," he said, tangling his free hand in her hair and keeping it from blowing in her face. "There's several bases waiting for us."</p><p>Hermione smiled up at him and squeezed his hand.</p><p>"Lead the way," she told him. Draco pulled her to his chest and with one last glance at the bare Malfoy estate, he apparated them both to northern England.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Fin</b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>And that’s the final chapter! I really hoped you guys enjoyed this book as much as I enjoyed reading the comments that you left. :)</p><p>I’ll admit, this chapter and the last one, I kind of lost inspiration on and rushed through. I was getting frustrated with the story and didn’t know what else to do, so this is what I ended up with. Hopefully you guys didn’t feel like it was too poorly done though. </p><p>Thanks again for reading and if you enjoyed this book, please go check out my other Dramione stories and one-shots (I have several)!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>